Sep.1 (GMM) Paddock sources at Monza believe Aston Martin will finally announce within a week that the rapidly-developing team has signed Adrian Newey.
Since F1’s renowned technical ‘genius’ decided to leave Red Bull this year, multiple rival teams have been desperately trying to woo the 65-year-old.
Helping Newey sift through the offers has been his long-time close friend and new ‘manager’, former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan.
Jordan said on his own podcast Formula For Success: “I understand that every single team in Formula 1 has spoken to us and indeed two teams that are not currently on the grid at the moment.”
Ferrari reportedly came close to inking a deal with Newey, but the engineer made excessive demands and was reluctant to move to Italy. Aston Martin, meanwhile, stunned the Briton with a lucrative and powerful offer.
“I think we are in the hunt with other teams,” Aston Martin team boss Mike Krack said at Monza. “I read last week there was another team coming into the game with Alpine, and this is all part of the rumour mill, but I would be really happy if he would come to us in the end.”
Like many others in the paddock, former Red Bull driver Robert Doornbos links the team’s current performance slide with Newey’s departure.
Max Verstappen, however, played that down. “No, it happened too quickly as soon as he left,” argues the triple world champion.
But even Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko admits Newey’s absence may be playing a role now. “Newey is no longer involved in the (development) process,” he told Sky Deutschland.
“His knowledge and experience would certainly have been useful in this situation,” Marko added.
Doornbos, agrees, telling Ziggo Sport: “They (Red Bull) are missing him already. There has not been a team he’s been in where Newey has not performed miracles.
“And he will perform miracles at Aston Martin as well.”
According to Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin desperately needs something new to stop the Silverstone based team’s own steady performance decline since 2023.
“I would rather have an updated floor or rear wing than a brain at the moment,” he told Spanish reporters at Monza, to collective laughter.
“The team is working very hard to bring new parts to the next races, but we are still waiting for that big improvement that will bring us closer to the top teams. We have to improve, we know it, we are working on it, but yes, I think the level at the moment is below the minimum necessary for us.”
When asked about the intensifying Newey rumours, however, the two-time champion would give nothing away.
“For me, it is already a privilege that Aston Martin and Adrian Newey are linked,” said Alonso. “That combination, just reading about it, is already a privilege. And I feel honoured to be part of Aston Martin.
“If one day it happens, I will be happy, but I cannot dream or continue thinking about things that are not in the present.”