Aston Martin majority owner Lawrence Stroll has revealed he knew the team "had to make" signing Adrian Newey happen immediately after his departure from Red Bull was confirmed.
The 65-year-old joins from a team where he won 13 F1 titles - just over half the 25 total he has helped achieve in an F1 career spanning back to the 1980s.
Having also attained considerable success with Williams and McLaren during the 1990s, Newey is hoping to triumph with a fourth team in F1.
“This is huge news," Stroll said upon confirmation of Newey's arrival.
"Adrian is the best in the world at what he does – he is at the top of his game – and I am incredibly proud that he is joining the Aston Martin Formula One team.
"It’s the biggest story since the Aston Martin name returned to the sport and another demonstration of our ambition to build a Formula One team capable of fighting for world championships.
"As soon as Adrian became available, we knew we had to make it happen. Our initial conversations confirmed that there was a shared desire to collaborate in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
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Newey will join in early 2025 upon his Red Bull exit and without a period of gardening leave, meaning he will be able to focus on the 2026 car.
It will be a critical season in F1, with wholesale power unit and chassis regulations changes being introduced.
Stroll believes in Newey, he now has a partner who can match the "hunger and ambition" of Aston Martin.
"Adrian is a racer and one of the most competitive people I have ever met," he added.
"When he saw what we have built at Silverstone – our incredible AMR Technology Campus, the talented group of people we have assembled and the latest wind tunnel in the sport – he quickly understood what we are trying to achieve.
"We mean business – and so does he. Adrian shares our hunger and ambition, he believes in this project, and he will help us write the next chapter in Aston Martin's Formula One story.”
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In the latest episode of the RacingNews365 podcast, Ian, Sam and Nick look ahead to this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Red Bull's serious issues are discussed, as is Ferrari's chances in the title fight and Adrian Newey's move to Aston Martin.
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