Aston Martin no longer “underdogs” with Newey signing

Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack feels that the signing of Adrian Newey adds “credibility” to the grand plans that CEO Lawrence Stroll had outlined for taking charge at the team.

Krack reckons that Newey’s signing for 2025 will inspire the team’s engineering talent, particularly those among the younger contingent – and means that the Silverstone-based squad can no longer be considered as ‘underdogs’ versus seasons prior.

The Luxembourger recalled that the unveiling of Newey within the factory went down extremely well, something that he was heartened to see, and hoped that the Briton’s signing would unleash greater morale within the team.

He added that this would also make the team more attractive to sponsors, partners, and potential future race drivers as the notion of working with Newey lends the team a new aura.

“I’m still smiling, you see me smiling? It was difficult to stop smiling,” Krack beamed. “I think it’s fantastic news for us as a team. The enthusiasm is enormous.

“When the news broke, I mean, it was a very badly kept secret at the end of the day, but when the news was communicated internally, it was just mega to see 800 people just cheering.

“Then when Adrian came on the stage, there was even more, so that was really, really nice.

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin F1 Team, Adrian Newey, Lawrence Stroll, Owner, Aston Martin F1 Team, and Lance Stroll, Aston Martin F1 Team

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

“I think it will make a difference for everybody, starting with the staff. When you manage to appoint Adrian Newey, it’s, first of all, proof that the project is credible; that the whole vision of Lawrence is not only words, but it’s really action that we can take confidence of as a team.

“This is not any more underdogs like it used to be in the past. It’s a team that should be confident that it can do it. But then also you have a completely different approach with partners. And the same for race drivers. So I think it opens a lot of doors for the future.”

Newey will be clear to join Aston Martin in March 2025, by which time the team will have already started laying down the groundwork for its 2026 concept when the new regulations are released at the start of January.

As Newey will remain contracted to Red Bull until that time, he will not be able to start charting Aston Martin’s course through the new rules until he joins. This means that the team will have to begin its initial designs without his influence.

But Krack says that the design process will open with flexibility to ensure it is receptive to Newey’s design ideas when he eventually joins the team.

“Honestly, there will be still enough time. Obviously, you must not start before the 1st of January with the aerodynamic work and the packaging and all these kinds of things will still be possible to change,” Krack explained.

“I think the basic package, it’s clear where the engine is and where is the gearbox, then it’s a matter of adjusting. But also we must not forget that the regulation is also quite restrictive in some areas, so there’s not so much freedom that you have in some areas.

“Then it’s for us to accommodate and to adjust. We need to be prepared for maybe adjusting a little bit the project plan to accommodate fresh ideas or maybe some suggestion from thinking out of the box, or from a different angle.”