Adrian Newey’s F1 future, if he chooses to continue in the sport, isn’t yet decided, but the latest rumour has placed the design legend at Aston Martin next.
Newey is set to depart the Red Bull F1 team by the middle of 2025, having embarked on a period of gardening leave last month in which he’ll continue working for Red Bull Racing on the automotive side as the RB18 hypercar nears production.
Adrian Newey to Aston Martin rumours emerge
With Newey a free agent on the market ahead of the upcoming 2026 regulation changes – which will see a huge emphasis on aerodynamic prowess as active aero is introduced – Red Bull’s competitors are currently embroiled in a bidding war to attempt to attract the 65-year-old to join them.
With Newey’s official line being that he wants to take an initial step back from F1 as he’s “a bit tired” after more than 40 years at the forefront of motorsport, speculation has abounded that Fred Vasseur’s Ferrari could be the team to attract him as Lawrence Stroll continues to build up the Silverstone-based squad.
With a brand-new factory campus built, one that is still being expanded as the former Jordan factory is completely renewed, the operation has become a serious player in F1 as Stroll’s investment is with the intent of challenging the established frontrunners.
Securing the likes of Newey, reuniting him with former Red Bull compatriot Dan Fallows, would be a major land for Aston Martin – and PlanetF1.com understands the Silverstone-based squad is now a leading contender for Newey’s signature.
Newey is understood to have visited the Aston Martin factory recently for a secret visit, with a source indicating to PlanetF1.com that a contract may already have been agreed between the two parties.
A request for clarification from Aston Martin was responded to with a spokesperson saying: “The Aston Martin Aramco F1 team is a very appealing project with Lawrence Stroll’s vision, a state-of-the-art new Technology Campus and exciting partnerships with Aramco and Honda.
“Many high-profile individuals across all areas of the team are linked to the project but we don’t have anything to announce.”
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With a move to Ferrari requiring Newey to uproot his life to Italy, a UK-based team is believed to still have the edge in terms of preference for Newey if he is eager to continue in F1 once his time at Red Bull has come to an end.
A switch to Aston Martin would also likely be a fresh competitive spur for Newey, having joined Red Bull at an early stage in the team’s development before playing a huge role in transforming the promising outfit into the behemoth it is today.
With Stroll pumping finances into the personnel and infrastructure available to the former Jordan and Force India team, Newey has already previously spoken about a desire to have worked with two-time F1 World Champion Fernando Alonso – something that would become reality as the Spaniard recently re-signed with the British team.
“Working with Fernando and Lewis [Hamilton] would have been fabulous. But it never happened,” he said.
“It’s just circumstance sometimes, that’s the way it is.”
A move to Aston Martin would also reunite Newey with the Valkyrie, the hypercar initially overseen by Newey as Aston Martin and Red Bull collaborated on the hybrid sports car almost a decade ago.
PlanetF1.com has approached Adrian Newey’s representatives for comment.