When Adrian Newey walked away from Red Bull to join Aston Martin, he didn't just sign up to be a designer but also as a shareholder. However, up until now, the exact numbers have remained under wraps, but those details have now come to light. 

Newey’s departure from Red Bull was one of the biggest news stories in 2024, as it ended his two-decade stint with the team. However, during this move, Newey was handed a share, which put him above the standard employees. 

According to the documents that Planet F1 could get their hands on, the Managing Technical Partner holds roughly 4.7 per cent of the team, made up of around 17,287 shares in a special class of stock called Ordinary D Shares. 

According to reports published by Planet F1 on September 1, Newey holds voting rights but not the board-level powers held by major investors. The reports further revealed that the stock is reportedly estimated to be around $159.8 million.

However, there is a catch in the deal. As per the reports, Newey won't be able to fully cash in until 2030, unless Stroll sells his controlling stake before then.

If he leaves before March 2030, though, Newey walks away with nothing; the shares are forfeited outright. 

For all the technical brilliance Newey brings to Aston Martin's garage, his path to actually profiting from the team's success is a slow one. 

How Adrian Newey’s shares became Lawrence Stroll's cost cap workaround

In a smart move made by the owner of Aston Martin, Lawrence Stroll offered Adrian Newey a share rather than a sole big paycheck. The reason behind this comes down to the financial workings of Formula One. 

Each season, a team is given a strict spending limit called the cost cap. Under this, driver pay is excluded, and so are the salaries of a team's three best-paid employees. 

However, Stroll found a smart workaround to the cost cap, and that was to pay his employees in shares.

During the 2025 season, rumors about the same circulated throughout the paddock, with F1oversteer reporting that Stroll paid lower wages to senior employees and compensated them with share packages instead. 

In doing so, this gave Aston Martin a way to lure in top talent while still staying within the cost cap and on the good side of Formula One’s management. 

Whether by design or necessity, the strategy appears to be working. Aston Martin has assembled one of the most decorated technical line-ups on the grid. 

Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco