Aston Martin’s F1 team have announced the departure of Dan Fallows from his role as technical director in a surprise move on Tuesday.
In September, Aston lured F1 design genius Adrian Newey from Red Bull in a £20m-a-year deal in what was seen as a massive coup for Lawrence Stroll’s outfit.
Newey worked with F1 engineer Fallows previously at Red Bull but an expected reunion in the technical department is now not on the cards, with Fallows leaving his role from November.
However, Fallows will remain with Aston Martin in an unspecified role.
“In my time at Aston Martin, it has been a joy and a privilege to guide the technical team on their journey towards being race and championship winners,” said Fallows, in an Aston Martin press release.
“It is time for me to pass on the baton, but I look forward to watching the team’s future success, which I am sure will come soon.”
Fallows joined Aston in April 2022 and was a key player behind the scenes as the team came close to winning a race last year, with Fernando Alonso recording eight podiums.
But with former Ferrari tech chief Enrico Cardile joining Aston alongside ex-Mercedes executive Andy Cowell and Newey, Fallows has left his role after two-and-a-half years.
Aston Martin Group CEO Cowell said: “I would like to thank Dan for his contribution to Aston Martin Aramco in the last two years. Dan led the team to the success of the AMR23 which secured eight podiums last season.”
Legendary Formula 1 designer Newey, who announced his departure from Red Bull in May after 19 years with the world champions, will take up his role at Aston in March 2025.
The likes of Ferrari, McLaren, Alpine and Williams all made enquiries for Newey’s services but team owner Stroll’s vision to turn Aston Martin into F1 world champions persuaded Newey to join the Silverstone-based outfit.
Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton had previously expressed an interest in working with Newey but the Scuderia’s interest in the designer cooled in recent months, with the team unwilling to enter a bidding war with Aston.
Newey, 65, will receive a reported annual salary of £19.8m ($26m) and will become a shareholder of Aston Martin as part of a five-year contract.
