The 15 drivers Adrian Newey will earn more than if he signs for Aston Martin including Lando Norris

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Adrian Newey is set to sign with Aston Martin, it emerged on Tuesday. The veteran engineer has attracted interest from multiple teams since handing in his Red Bull resignation in the spring.

A report from Italy claims Aston Martin will announce Newey in September ahead of his likely arrival in the early part of 2025. A team spokesperson has played down talk of imminent confirmation (via Thomas Maher).

Aston owner Lawrence Stroll has done all he can to convince the 65-year-old to take a gamble on his project. Stroll gave Newey a tour of the factory and invited him to dinner as part of his charm offensive.

Crucially, he’s also given him more power than rival suitors like Ferrari could accept. Newey has already had a say in the hiring of Enrico Cardile, the technical director who will arrive from Maranello in 2025.

Stroll wants to turn his upper midfield team into a championship powerhouse, and he seemingly views Newey as the last piece required. The Englishman has contributed to 25 combined championships in his career.

He’s also achieved success in multiple different eras, including the 1990s with Williams and McLaren, the 2010s with Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull and most recently with Max Verstappen. That will inspire confidence ahead of the 2026 regulation changes.

Adrian Newey would out-earn Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin

Another incentive to join Aston was the giant contract Stroll put on the table. Newey will apparently earn £80m over the course of a four-year deal, which translates to about £385k per week.

Remarkably, going off Spotrac data, this would see him out-earn 15 of the 20 drivers on the current grid. That’s a group that includes Fernando Alonso, the two-time world champion for whom he’ll be designing cars, and McLaren’s Lando Norris.

George Russell also features on the list, alongside fellow race-winners Sergio Perez, Carlos Sainz, Valtteri Bottas, Daniel Ricciardo, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly. This only underlines Newey’s status within the paddock.

Driver salaries are excluded from the F1 cost cap, as is compensation for the three highest-paid staff members. Employee bonuses don’t fall under the restrictions either.

Former Red Bull employee sends ‘collapse’ warning following Adrian Newey exit

While Newey’s Red Bull salary is unclear, the world champions will no doubt save a huge amount through his departure. Pierre Wache and Enrico Balbo are taking on more responsibility after signing new deals, so Christian Horner won’t have to worry about the expense of an external hire either.

But these are still worrying times at Milton Keynes. Last week, the team confirmed that sporting director Jonathan Wheatley would be following Newey out the door to join Audi.

One former Red Bull employee thinks they’re collapsing, though Horner will hope that’s it for senior departures. The team already appear to have lost their way in the development race, with McLaren still seemingly in front despite a series of recent upgrades.

Back in March, Jos Verstappen warned that the team would ‘explode’. While they may not have reached that point just yet, the situation could worsen if they lose out on the constructors’ championship this year.