Aston Martin Explains Adrian Newey's Induction Process As His Drawing Board Reaches Silverstone

Aston Martin CEO Andy Cowell has explained Adrian Newey's induction process as he arrives at the team's Silverstone facility on March 3, and revealed that his most important tool has already reached his new office - his drawing board. The legendary Formula 1 designer, who transitions from Red Bull to Aston Martin next week, prefers to sketch his designs by hand instead of relying on digital methods to design. Thus, his drawing board is his trusted companion at work and had to reach Aston Martin before his arrival.

According to a report by RacingNews365, the board has been safely transferred. This was in stark contrast to 2006, when Newey moved from McLaren to Red Bull. The process saw Red Bull negotiate with then-McLaren boss Ron Dennis, who didn't let it go easily, eventually leading Red Bull to pay for its release. Fortunately, Aston Martin didn't have to negotiate with Red Bull for the release of Newey's drawing board.

Aston Martin eagerly awaits Newey’s arrival as its managing technical partner and shareholder. The team has been taking considerable steps toward becoming a championship contender, implementing an organizational restructuring and building a state-of-the-art wind tunnel at its new Silverstone facility. While the aero guru has crafted numerous championship-winning cars since his Formula 1 journey began in 1988, his most recent masterpiece was the dominant RB19, which powered Red Bull to 21 Grand Prix victories in the 22-race 2023 season.

While Newey's joining in March may not have a big impact on the 2025 car, he will be active in designing the team's 2026 car, the year when Formula 1 enters into a new era of regulations. Cowell opened up on Newey's onboarding process and confirmed the arrival of his drawing board. He said:

"I could show you a photo, but there's too many [media] to look at the image on my phone.

"But yes, his office is ready and the drawing board is there."

"Everybody is super excited to work with Adrian, his record speaks for itself.

"We're looking forward to welcoming him on-site and doing an induction for a new employee, which might be a little different.

"We will start work by introducing him to the key engineering and technical players within our business, showing him the business tools for engineering the car and then getting stuck into creating a 2026 car and helping with improvements on 2025.

"I am sure he will get the lay of the land a lot quicker than I did."