Adrian Newey has joined Aston Martin with the aim of steering them towards the Formula 1 World Championship.
The 65-year-old designer's new role, titled Managing Technical Partner, was announced on Tuesday at the team's F1 headquarters in Silverstone.
Newey, widely considered the greatest F1 designer in history, has also become a shareholder in Aston Martin.
Although the team initially withheld details regarding the contract's duration, BBC Sport has learned that it is a five-year agreement, potentially worth up to £30 million annually, including bonuses and additional incentives.
Newey expressed that he was "deeply inspired and impressed by the passion and dedication" of team owner Lawrence Stroll.
The Canadian billionaire has already invested substantial sums into a new factory, which includes a cutting-edge wind tunnel, and has secured a factory engine partnership with Honda starting in 2026.
The Japanese company has been supplying Red Bull, the current World Champions, since 2019.
Aston Martin also have two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso under contract until the end of 2026. The team’s other driver is Stroll's son, Lance.
"Lawrence is determined to create a world-beating team. 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.
"They have all the key pieces of infrastructure needed to make Aston Martin a world championship-winning team and I am very much looking forward to helping reach that goal."
Lawrence Stroll said he was "incredibly proud" Newey had decided to join Aston Martin. Newey also had conversations with Ferrari, McLaren, Williams and Alpine.
"Adrian is the best in the world at what he does - he is at the top of his game.
"It's the biggest story since the Aston Martin name returned to the sport and another demonstration of our ambition to build an F1 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. He quickly understood what we are trying to achieve. We mean business - and so does he."
Newey will commence work for Aston Martin from early March next year and will collaborate with a team of engineers in which Stroll has already made significant investments.
The team's technical director is Dan Fallows, an aerodynamicist who worked under Newey at Red Bull from 2006 to 2021.
Former Mercedes engine chief Andy Cowell, who was the driving force behind the development of the benchmark engine in F1's hybrid era, will take on the role of chief executive officer on 1st October.
Additionally, former Ferrari chassis technical director Enrico Cardile is set to begin as chief technical officer at an unspecified date in 2025.
