Red Bull team principal Christian Horner believes Aston Martin’s high-profile unveiling of Adrian Newey was “premature” as the driving force remains to be under contract to the Milton Keynes outfit.
Since Newey’s departure from Red Bull was announced, speculation has swirled about his future employment, but he has signed a deal to turn into the brand new technical managing partner of Aston, earning a reported £30m a 12 months, in addition to becoming a shareholder.
A press conference was held at Aston's recent base in Silverstone on Tuesday, and Newey arrived to great fanfare.
However, he is not going to officially take up his recent position until March 1, and Horner believes the timing of the announcement is somewhat unlucky.
“It was obviously a big announcement from Aston and Adrian has always had a tendency to do things his own way, so it was obviously a big moment for the team,” said Horner.
“They decided to celebrate it potentially a bit prematurely before he ends his contract with Red Bull Racing, but obviously it was a big moment for the team.”
Horner admitted he was not surprised when Newey's transfer to Aston was confirmed and believes the 65-year-old's experience will now be a key asset for the team as they appear to maneuver up the standings.
Adrian Newey and Lawrence Stroll, owner of the Aston Martin F1 team, on stage
Photo: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
“It wasn't a huge surprise. I think it became increasingly obvious that this was the path he was going to take, rather than retiring or going to another team. Obviously it will be a new challenge for him and it will be sad to see him go next year, but we wish him all the best for the future,” he said.
“Adrian is clearly a really creative guy and he’s not your average designer. I believe he’s the one person in Formula 1 who’s still working on the drafting board, so it’s inevitably going to be a process where we’ll should get to know one another and learn how we work and so forth.
“He is exclusive in some ways and I believe Aston will want to learn from his vast experience.
“I remember that time with great fondness, the almost 20 years we spent together, the ups and downs of that period, but I look to the future and I think we are well prepared for it.”
