Why $100m Aston Martin Newey deal is not a given

It has been reported with some degree of certainty that Adrian Newey has signed a deal with Aston Martin.

The Italian Autosprint publication is stating that technical guru Newey has signed a four-year deal worth a staggering $100m, with confirmation to be announced in September.

The $25m-per-year agreement has been circulating for some time, although it is half of what was allegedly being demanded by Newey’s manager, former F1 team boss Eddie Jordan.

But with add-ons and incentives, it appears the two parties have reached an agreement if the article is to be believed because it does make you wonder. Not so much about its reliability, but rather how Aston Martin is to flesh this out internally.

Don’t forget, F1 teams are subject to a budget cap which excludes the salaries of each team’s top three employees, ordinarily the team principal, technical director and one other. It includes everyone else with a direct involvement in the design, manufacture and operation of the cars.

Signing Newey would not be Aston Martin’s first big-name acquisition. Aside from team boss Mike Krack, it has also on its books TD Dan Fallows, who worked alongside Newey at Red Bull, as well as Enrico Cardile (from Ferrari) and recently Andy Cowell (the former Mercedes engine guru).

They are star names who will not have come cheap, and they are also strong characters with their vision as to how the team should progress from its struggling position this season.

There is a question as to how Aston Martin will unite them, and then there is the additional concern as to how the team affords such a line-up because whilst Newey will undoubtedly fall directly outside the budget cap, others – such as those above – will not.

Newey’s appointment would indeed weigh heavily on the pursestrings controlled by owner Lawrence Stroll.

Is it unlikely Newey will leave for Aston Martin? No, certainly not. Stroll is known for his ability to convey a good story. With state-of-the-art facilities and the aforementioned acquisitions, he has the tools to back up his story.

But whichever way you look, it comes at the expense of something else. It is a trade-off Stroll and those around him will have thought through, but one that is not entirely without risk.