Adrian Newey has visited the Aston Martin factory as he weighs up his next move, with the chances of a sensational switch to Ferrari having seemingly receded in recent weeks.
Red Bull’s chief technical officer, who announced last month that he would leave the world champions next year, had been widely expected to sign for the Scuderia in 2025.
Lewis Hamilton publicly stated his desire to work with the 65 year-old when he moves to Ferrari from Mercedes next season, admitting Newey’s name would be at the “top of his wishlist” of dream signings. And a deal was at one stage said to be as good as done. It is understood the Italian team have concerns over Newey’s cost and whether his arrival might destabilise the current setup.
That move could still be resurrected, but Aston Martin, who were always interested, are hoping to swoop in, although not at any price. Newey, who has been instrumental in world championship victories for Williams, McLaren and Red Bull, is said to have asked for an eye-watering sum to sign for the Silverstone-based team. The Telegraph has heard rumours of £25 million per season, which is allegedly half of what was asked for initially and which Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll is understood to have balked at. Stroll is keen to make what would be a statement signing, though, and Newey is understood to have been given a tour of the team’s new factory at Silverstone a couple of weekends ago.
McLaren remain another potential option should Newey decide he wants another challenge. As with Aston Martin and Ferrari, they offer the potential to work across road, F1 and sportscar programmes. The team’s factory in Woking is far closer to Newey’s home than Silverstone, and he would reunite there with Rob Marshall and Peter Prodromou. Again, though, salary remains a stumbling block, and the team are already on a steep upward trajectory.
Williams team principal James Vowles has also stated publicly that he would be keen to bring Newey back to Grove, saying in Miami that he wanted Williams’s name “to be in the hat”. “He [Newey] is not in a rush, particularly, which is a good thing,” Vowles told media. “I think we have to be straightforward. I want to make sure we’re talking to him, I want to make sure our name’s in the hat.”
Newey launches his new Red Bull RB17 supercar at next month’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. It is a longstanding passion project, and it may be that he does not want to overshadow that.
He will be available to work in the second quarter of next year, in time to have an input into the design of the 2026 car of any team he chooses to join. Newey’s manager Eddie Jordan said there were no guarantees that he would continue in the sport. “The guy is 60-something, he’s getting a new boat,” Jordan said on his Formula For Success podcast. “I would’ve said equally alongside all those potential teams we’re talking about, the fifth team he should be thinking about is himself.
“Himself and Amanda [Newey], they have a wonderful home in Cape Town, we see a lot of them and they are great, great friends.
“I have no idea [what he will decide], and let it be clear, it will always be Adrian’s decision, and so it should be.”