Joshua and McIlroy among British superstars earning less than F1 designer

The list of the world’s highest-paid sports people will have an unlikely new addition – a 65-year-old aerodynamicist.

That’s because legendary Formula 1 car designer Adrian Newey has signed a new contract with Aston Martin with a reported salary of £30million a year with bonuses.

Newey will join the Silverstone-based outfit from the 2025 season, signing a five year deal that could completely upset the sport’s current order.

Newey is the mastermind behind 12 Constructors’ World Championships and 13 Drivers’ World Championships in different stints with Williams, McLaren and Red Bull.

A specialist in finding performance gains in new regulations, Aston Martin will have Newey in place for the 2026 season when new power unit and aerodynamic regulations come into effect.

That means the car piloted by Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll could well catapult into winning contention, and team owner Lawrence Stroll has paid Newey accordingly.

As per business website Forbes Newey’s £30m per-year salary would put him behind only champions Max Verstappen (£58m) and Lewis Hamilton (£43m) as the third-highest paid figure in the paddock.

In British terms, Newey would again slot in as the third highest-paid sportsperson, behind only Hamilton and boxing megastar Tyson Fury who earned a reported £32m from sporting activity this past year. 

Golfing megastar Rory McIlroy made Forbes’ 2024 top 50 on £26m, while other huge names like Anthony Joshua, Harry Kane and Andy Murray didn’t make the cut for the year.

Newey will also earn more for sporting activities than other huge names such as Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, the NBA’s James Harden, and golfing icon Tiger Woods.

He may well even make more away from the track too, as it’s been confirmed that he will also become an Aston Martin shareholder.

Despite the shock at such fees for an individual who isn’t involved in the physical side of sport, the move certainly isn’t anything unusual for Aston Martin owner Stroll.

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The Canadian billionaire saw his son Lance join F1 for the 2017 season with Williams, and he later followed suit a year later by purchasing the Force India Formula One Team.

Two years later Stroll bought a 20 per cent in luxury car brand Aston Martin, and in 2021 he merged the deal with his Formula 1 team, bringing the iconic brand back to the grid for the first time since 1960.

Continuing his heavy investment, Stroll landed two-time champion Alonso in 2023, and soon began work on a new state-of-the-art factory and team base in Silverstone, just across the road from the venue for the British Grand Prix.

That project is now complete, and coupled with a new engine supplier deal with Honda, who Newey worked alongside at Red Bull, there is plenty of hope that British Racing Green could once again be at the top step of the podium.

Commenting on why the move was such a good fit, Newey told the media that Stoll played a huge part.

“Lawrence is determined to create a world-beating team,” Newey said. “He is the only majority team owner who is actively engaged in the sport.

“His commitment is demonstrated in the development of the new AMR Technology Campus and wind tunnel at Silverstone, which are not only state of the art but have a layout that creates a great environment to work in.”

Adding his thoughts, Stroll said: “This is huge news. 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 team.

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“It’s the biggest story since the Aston Martin name returned to the sport and another demonstration of our ambition to build a Formula 1 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. Adrian is a racer and one of the most competitive people I have ever met.

“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 our story.”

Alonso, who’s signed with Aston Martin through to the end of 2026, also gave his view, saying: “It’s an incredible day for the team.

“Lawrence’s vision is taking shape with this building, Honda, Adrian – this is definitely the team of the future and for me it is going to be an incredible opportunity professionally to work with Adrian.”

Alonso isn’t the only one who was desperate to work with Newey, with Hamilton publicly trying to tempt the engineer with him to Ferrari when his Red Bull departure was made official in May.

Hamilton, who joins the Italian squad next season, said Newey was ‘top of his wish list’ of people to work with in the sport.

Newey had earlier paid a similar compliment, saying his biggest career regret was never having worked with Hamilton or Alonso, something he’s now resolved.