Earlier this week, reports of Adrian Newey wanting to leave Red Bull emerged, leading to speculation surrounding his potential destination. The reports pointed towards Ferrari being the favorite to land the British aerodynamicist. Aston Martin too, is in the mix, but Lawrence Stroll may not have enough to offer for Newey to sign the deal.
Stroll took charge of team Silverstone back in 2018 when it was known as Force India. After a brief restructuring with the Racing Point name, the outfit came to be known as Aston Martin from 2021 onwards. Stroll’s ambition with Aston Martin has always been to make the iconic British name an F1 World Championship-winning team.
To fulfill Stroll’s ambition, having Newey on board will be huge for Aston Martin. Per Jake Boxall-Legge from Autosport, Stroll isn’t “afraid” of offering a huge paycheck to Newey either, who also wants to create the best possible car that wins races and Championships.
“So it’s not inconceivable that he puts together a big money offer. I believe that’s kind of already happened. He’s made Newey an offer.”
Newey could also be tempted to join Aston Martin because of Fernando Alonso. The two-time World Champion signed a contract extension which will keep him tied to the Silverstone-based team until 2026- a positive sign for the whole stable.
On the other hand, Newey can reject Stroll’s bumper offer for personal reasons. Working with Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari is something the 65-year-old has always wanted which would make Maranello his most preferred destination.
Why Adrian Newey could refuse Lawrence Stroll’s offer
Aston Martin has all the right ingredients Newey could need to turn the outfit into a Championship contender. They have a big team, a former World Champion driver, and a state-of-the-art working facility in Silverstone. Still, Ferrari seems to have the edge over the British team.
A lot of it has to do with the Ferrari name itself. As Newey once revealed, the Italian team tried signing him thrice before. This year, however, the deal seems closer than ever and the idea of working with Hamilton is something Newey could find difficult to refuse.
Name aside, Ferrari looks like it has a bright future ahead in F1. Under Fred Vasseur’s leadership, the team has become stronger gradually and is making Red Bull look over its shoulders.
Newey is one of F1’s most brilliant minds ever. Hence, it isn’t a surprise that many teams are interested in having the Briton onboard. To get him, money – while important- won’t be the deciding factor. Newey is reportedly leaving Red Bull because of the power struggle behind the scenes. What he craves is stability along with a good project. At the moment, Ferrari seems like the perfect fit.
