Joe McConnell
Vscek F1 Ted Kravitz has explored Adrian Newey’s options, amid speculation that Aston Martin is leading the race to hire Red Bull’s outgoing design chief.
Red Bull confirmed in May that Newey had stepped down from his role as technical director and would remain with the team until early 2025, solely to work on the hypercar project.
Since then, the 65-year-old has been linked with Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren and Aston Martin, with recent reports suggesting the latter has emerged as the frontrunner.
Talking about the latest episode of Vscek F1 PodcastTed explained why Aston Martin could be an attractive option for Newey.
He said: “Look at the investment that has already been made in Aston Martin, look at their factory. He already has Dan Fallows, who he worked with successfully at Red Bull, to be there with him.
“I imagine he would have definitely talked to Dan Fallows and asked, ‘What is this place I’m coming to? What’s it like?’
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Kravitz and Matt Baker look at what Jonathan Wheatley’s move from Red Bull Racing to Audi could mean for both teams
“I asked Dan Fallows about this in Hungary, if he would be happy for Newey to join him. Fallows said, ‘What you have to understand is that Adrian is a relentless, unstoppable competitor in Formula 1, and I would be amazed if he didn’t join another team, and I would certainly be happy to work with Adrian again at Aston Martin.’
“We’ve all had discussions with different people at Aston Martin about what you can offer someone like Newey. You can say, ‘Come in, be a figurehead, sprinkle your magic dust here and there, get our people on the right path, and we think we have the ability to do the rest with Fallows and the team that’s already there.’
“It’s a matter of judgment for Newey, where he wants to be happy to be. And the current leader, if we are to believe the rumours, is Aston Martin, but it could be any of those teams.”
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Kravitz on Oliver Oakes’ Journey from Junior Driver to Alpine Team Director
During the episode, Ted also looked at the appointment of Oliver Oakes as Alpine team director and Jonathan Wheatley’s departure from Red Bull to become Sauber/Audi team director.
Alonso evasive on Newey connections
Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso was asked in June whether Newey could join the Silverstone team, but he dismissed the rumours as “rumors”.
“I have read the rumours and the news, but they come from the same source and the same websites,” said Alonso, who signed a new deal earlier this year to stay with Aston Martin until the end of 2026. “A week ago [reports said] he was at Ferrari, so rumors are rumors.”
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Fernando Alonso remained tight-lipped when asked about the possibility of Newey joining Aston Martin
Asked what he would say to Newey to convince him to join the team, Alonso replied: “It’s between me and him.”
After taking a huge step forward in 2023, Aston Martin has failed to build on that momentum, sitting fifth, behind the top four (Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes) in the constructors’ standings.
However, Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll continues to spare no expense in trying to position his team at the forefront, with the recent hires of Enrico Cardile from Ferrari and former Mercedes motorsport guru Andy Cowell serving as statements of intent.
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