On Tuesday, Aston Martin announced that Adrian Newey will be joining the team in 2025 as the team’s Managing Technical Partner. But Lawrence Stroll is not done yet. There have been some indications suggesting that Max Verstappen is available for the 2026 season onwards.
Until, last year, Formula 1 was being dominated by Max Verstappen and Red Bull. At the start of this year, it was more or less the same. However, since the Miami Grand Prix, Red Bull’s performance has been on a downward trajectory. For this reason, Max Verstappen may start to look for a change in teams.
Aston Martin has their eyes set on Max Verstappen
With Max Verstappen possibly on the market for a seat in 2026, Aston Martin will be on the shortlist for the Dutch driver. With the moves the team has been making over the past few months, Aston Martin could be a real contender for the Championship from the 2026 season.
From the 2026 season, the new technical regulations will come into play. We got a slight preview of these changes and there is no doubt that the cars will change dramatically in this new era.
⚠️ | Lawrence Stroll reportedly has his sights set on an Aston Martin swoop for Max Verstappen.
Talks to make this happen are reportedly already in progress.
Italian publication Autosprint which correctly called Newey to Aston Martin claims Stroll is now ‘aiming for’… pic.twitter.com/df34CU7MLh
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) September 11, 2024
With Red Bull choosing Ford as their Power Unit supplier, they stand a much lesser chance of coming out on top in this new era. Usually, when Red Bull has a weak engine, they depend on Adrian Newey to design a strong car aerodynamically. However, the team has lost this mastermind to Aston Martin already.
Although the Silverstone-based team is looking to sign Max Verstappen, they have already committed to the future with Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso. Both of these drivers will drive for the team until the end of the 2026 season. However, there could be an exit clause in Stroll’s contract that could allow Max to replace him.
Is Aston Martin poaching Red Bull employees?
Aston Martin is not necessarily poaching Red Bull employees, but in the past few months, they have taken a lot away from Red Bull, not just employees but power units as well. From the 2026 season, the team’s cars will be powered by Honda power units which have been powering the Red Bulls since 2019 and will continue to do so until the 2025 season. And now, Adrian Newey will be leaving Red Bull to join Aston Martin on March 1st, 2025.
If Max Verstappen also decides to leave Red Bull to join Aston Martin, it is going to look bad for the Austrian team. Despite these facts, Aston Martin is not really poaching Red Bull employees, instead, they are just going for talent.
This year has probably been the most disappointing year for Red Bull. They started off all high and mighty, but have now fallen down to possibly only the 4th fastest car on the grid. Plus, they could fall even further in 2026 under the new regulations.
🚨 | OFFICIAL: Adrian Newey will join Aston Martin on a basic salary of £20m, rising to £30m with bonuses.
Do you think this will help Aston Martin win a championship? #F1 #Formula1 pic.twitter.com/PFEUAQdjrO
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) September 10, 2024
Aston Martin on the other hand seems to be going up. Although their 2024 season is not going as well as last year, they seem to be preparing to fight the Championship in 2026 with an Adrian Newey-designed car.
It is going to be very interesting to see how Aston Martin in the next few years. If they are able to get Max Verstappen in the team alongside Fernando Alonso, it would be a dream lineup. Do you think this is a possibility? Post your thoughts in the comments section below.
