Adrian Newey put on the spot about whether he’s worth “£30m” pay packet
"I am in a very fortunate position where I don’t need to work"
Adrian Newey was quizzed about his reportedly astronomical wages after joining Aston Martin.
The Silverstone-based F1 team proudly announced that genius car designer Newey has joined them for the next stage of his career.
He will become a shareholder in the Aston Martin F1 team, Lawrence Stroll announced.
Additionally his salary will total £30m, including potential bonuses, the BBC report.
Newey was bluntly asked by the BBC what value he brings to Aston Martin that is worth such a colossal fee.
“He replied: “Better ask Lawrence…
“I don’t know. I’m just me. I am in a very fortunate position where I don’t need to work now.
“I could retire and have a comfortable lifestyle very easily. But I still love the job that I’m doing.”
For Newey, the decision to join Aston Martin was not inevitable.
“When I decided to stop at Red Bull in late-April I genuinely had no idea what to do next,” he said.
“Would it be to retire and sail around the world? Would it be to do something completely different? Would it be to stay in F1?
“Me and Mandy, my wife, decided not to make a decision for a while, to let it sink in.
“In June I thought that I wanted to be a designer in motor racing ever since I was 10 or 12, and have been lucky enough to achieve that. I still love the job. The challenge to make the car go faster gets me up in the morning.”
Newey was asked if he lost some passion during the final days of his tenure at Red Bull.
“It’s easy to become a bit stale,” he said.
“I had a little bit of that in 2005 with McLaren. I was getting stale and needed a new challenge.
“I started to feel a bit of that through the second half of last year, and into this year.
“My reasons for stopping at Red Bull were multiple. But certainly, that was one of them.”
Newey beamed when explaining what happened when he arrived at Aston Martin’s HQ for his unveiling.
“The reception I had from all the employees here, when I walked out to address the factory, was a ‘pinch yourself’ moment,” he said.
“It’s a side of it that I never think about. My passion is to make the car go faster.
“I try to keep myself immune from the outside media.”
