Christian Horner labeled Aston Martin’s very public announcement of its hiring of Adrian Newey as “slightly premature” given that the F1 designer is still under contract with Red Bull.
Aston Martin confirmed on Tuesday at an event held at its Silverstone base that Newey would be joining the team in March 2025 as its new Technical Managing Partner, but also as a shareholder.
The greatest engineering mind in Formula 1 history will reportedly earn an estimated $25 million a year for his valuable services, a record retainer for an F1 designer and one to which Aston Martin Executive Chairman Lawrence Stroll readily agreed as part of his quest to propel Team Silverstone to the top of the grid in the coming seasons.
But while Aston’s announcement made waves, Horner expressed reservations about its timing.
"It was obviously a large announcement by Aston and Adrian has always tended to do his own thing so obviously it was a big moment for that team," Horner said, appearing slightly miffed.
"They chose to celebrate it perhaps potentially slightly prematurely before he has finished his contract with Red Bull Racing but obviously it was a big moment for that team."
Newey’s departure from Red Bull, announced last May, led to endless speculation over the following months about his next move, with Ferrari generally considered as his most likely destination.
But Aston moved in and pulled out the stops to outbid Ferrari and secure the 65-year-old design guru’s coveted services, sealing a deal that didn’t surprise Horner.
"It wasn't a great surprise; I think it was becoming clearer and clearer that that was the route that he was going to go rather than into retirement or any other team,” commented Horner.
“So obviously it will be a new challenge for him and it will be sad to see when he leaves next year but we wish him all the best for the future.”
Horner highlighted Newey’s creativity and unique approach to car design, which has been a major factor in Red Bull's success over the past two decades.
"Adrian is obviously a very creative guy and he is not your average designer, I think he is the only person still in Formula 1 working on a drawing board,” added the Red Bull chief.
“So inevitably there will be a process of having to get to know each other and how each other works and so on.
"He is unique in many respects, and I think that Aston will obviously look to draw upon his huge experience.”
As Red Bull prepares for life without Newey, Horner remains confident in the team’s future.
"I look back with great fondness to the time, the 20 years almost that we spent together, the highs and lows during that period, but look forward to the future and I think we are well positioned for that,” he concluded.
"I look back with great fondness to the time, the 20 years almost that we spent together, the highs and lows during that period, but look forward to the future and I think we are well positioned for that."
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