‘There’s a rumour’… The clever tactic Aston Martin may be using to stay within F1’s budget cap

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Adrian Newey became the latest big-name addition to the Aston Martin Formula 1 team this week. Newey has signed a long-term deal from 2025 after resigning from Red Bull.

Newey will earn up to £30m per year depending on bonuses, making him one of the best-paid non-athletes across sport. This reflects his status as F1’s greatest-ever designer.

He will finally have the opportunity to work with two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, who joined the team at the start of last year. Alonso has been pitted against Newey’s machinery for much of his F1 career.

In 2005, he beat the Englishman’s McLaren, in the hands of Kimi Raikkonen, to the world championship. But he narrowly lost out to Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel in both 2010 and 2012.

Newey will link up with former Ferrari technical director Enrico Cardile and ex-Red Bull aerodynamicist Dan Fallows at Silverstone. Lawrence Stroll has also signed Andy Cowell, the former boss of Mercedes’ hugely successful engine programme.

While they’re currently a midfield team, Aston Martin hope to become a dominant force in F1. Stroll will expect them to compete from 2026 following a major change to the regulations.

Adrian Newey may not be the only Aston Martin employee receiving shares in the team

Every team in F1 is subject to a £106m cost cap until at least the end of 2025, when the figure may be reviewed. Driver salaries are exempt, as are the wages of the top three staff members.

That means Newey’s pay packet almost certainly won’t count, but the more A-list engineers Stroll hires, the more difficult it will be for the team to comply. Speaking on the Formel Schmidt podcast, AMuS journalist Michael Schmidt pointed to a potential workaround.

Aston have given Newey shares in the team, which will offer an additional source of income. There’s a ‘rumour’ that they’ve also done this with other ‘big earners’, albeit on a smaller scale.

That way, they can present the kind of financial packages needed to attract top talent without risking a cost-cap penalty. Red Bull received a fine for their 2021 breach, but that was only classified as minor.

Schmidt said: “There’s a rumour in the scene that Aston Martin also practices this with others. So maybe every one of the big earners has half a percent or whatever, simply to keep salaries lower in order to stay within the budget cap. You naturally ask yourself, given the amount of big names, how can they do it?”

Aston Martin boss gives one-word answer when asked whether they can win 2026 title

Stroll is investing £783m to turn the team into a force. When the cars emerge for pre-season testing in the winter of 2026, they will be the centre of attention.

Mike Krack believes Aston Martin can win the title in the first year of the new ruleset. When asked if it was possible, he confidently said ‘yes’.

Teams like McLaren and Ferrari will justifiably argue that they boast stronger line-ups. But Stroll will feel that the combination of Alonso and a formidable backroom team will be enough.

McLaren have built the fastest car in F1 this year but their inexperience has cost them at times. It’s crucial, then, that Aston Martin have assembled a team of a core of proven winners.