F1 Rumor: Aston Martin Targets Max Verstappen After Signing Adrian Newey

Saajan Jogia | Aug 7, 2024

May 4, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (1) on the grid before the F1 Sprint Race at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The most recent report from the Italian publication Autosprint suggests that Red Bull's chief technical officer Adrian Newey, has already signed a contract with Aston Martin, securing his future in F1 with the Silverstone outfit. Now though, Aston Martin has championship leader Max Verstappen on its radar, with plans to sign him for 2026 and beyond.

The aero guru is currently in his final season with Red Bull and will leave the team next year. While he has kept details about his next move under wraps, speculation intensified after he was recently spotted at Aston Martin's factory in Silverstone.

The report indicated that Newey has been enticed by a lucrative offer from billionaire Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll. This opportunity allows Newey to remain in the UK and work with a team that has seen substantial investment and significant upgrades to its infrastructure and facilities in recent years.

Newey will reportedly join Aston Martin next year after completing his tenure at Red Bull, where he is currently on soft gardening leave as chief technical officer. The move will be announced in early September, after the summer break. However, with Newey ticked off the list, Aston Martin is hoping to get three-time world champion Verstappen on its turf, and negotiations are already underway to have him on board for 2026.

This could be a strong proposition considering Verstappen's close association with Honda, Red Bull's current engine supplier, which is also set to solely supply engines to Aston Martin from 2026. Japanese manufacturer's engines set the benchmark in F1 in 2021, coinciding with the introduction of the current engine freeze. As a result, the Dutchman might find it more sensible to race with a proven Honda-powered car rather than gamble on an untested Red Bull Powertrain engine in 2026.

Despite Verstappen's Red Bull contract running until 2028, recent upheavals within the team might prompt him to consider other options. The turmoil began with accusations of inappropriate behavior against team principal Christian Horner by a team member, followed by rumors of Horner attempting to oust senior advisor Helmut Marko.

Additionally, there have been reported tensions between Horner and Verstappen's father, Jos Verstappen. The situation was further exacerbated by the announcement of Adrian Newey's departure, the mastermind behind Red Bull's title contender. These factors collectively provide several compelling reasons for Verstappen to potentially look elsewhere.

Not to forget the fact that Red Bull has been losing its dominance as the season goes by with the resurgence of rival teams McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes. Each race is turning out to be more challenging for Verstappen to win, unlike the previous season, where he secured 19 wins out of the 22 races.

Newey was also linked to Ferrari earlier, but the discussions fell through at the salary negotiation stage. Autosprint's report says that negotiations between Newey and Ferrari stalled quite some time ago. The Italian publication disclosed that Ferrari was shocked by the sudden departure of their technical director, Enrico Cardile, to Aston Martin. This unexpected move has led to legal disputes over the terms of Cardile's gardening leave.

If Verstappen moves to Aston Martin, he would likely replace Lance Stroll, who could transition to the Aston Martin WEC program to drive the Valkyrie. This car, a collaborative effort between Red Bull and Aston Martin, was designed by Newey.