Adrian Newey is regarded as F1's greatest car designer and will be free to join another team from early 2025 after negotiating an exit from Red Bull; watch every session of Spanish GP live on Sky Sports F1, with qualifying on Saturday at 3pm and race on Sunday at 2pm
Thursday 20 June 2024 20:11, UK
Fernando Alonso has addressed reports that his Aston Martin team are ramping up their efforts to sign Adrian Newey for the 2025 Formula 1 season after he leaves Red Bull.
In May, Red Bull announced Newey will leave the company in the early part of 2025 and immediately stopped working on the F1 car for the remainder of this season to focus on their hypercar project.
Sky Sports News understands Newey has already been approached by Ferrari, which was his initial preference last month.
However, it's understood Newey paid a secret visit to the Aston Martin factory as he weighs up his options and there are four teams in the running to sign him - Aston Martin, Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes.
"I read the rumours and news but it's coming from the same source and websites," said Alonso, who signed a new deal earlier this year to stay with Aston Martin until the end of 2026.
"One week ago [reports said] he was at Ferrari, so rumours are rumours."
Asked what he would say to Newey to convince him to join the team, Alonso added: "That's between me and him."
Sky Sports News' Craig Slater:
"Newey did indeed visit the Aston Martin factory a couple of weeks ago.
"This was almost a behind-closed-doors event. Aston Martin kept staff away, they did not want news of this visit leaking out.
"Newey toured the campus, met with Lawrence Stroll, the team owner, and personal terms have been discussed. My understanding is Aston Martin can meet Newey's personal demands, although they are very considerable indeed.
"Aston Martin believe Newey is still in the process of potentially shopping for his next job in F1.
"There are three other teams potentially where he could go - Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari.
"We haven't heard Newey linked with Mercedes too much before but, as I understand it, they are exploring the potential to sign F1's greatest designer.
"McLaren, where Newey worked before in an earlier period of his career, have renewed interest to see if it's possible they could take him back there. And then there's Ferrari, although I have been told from various paddock sources that their prospects of uniting Newey with Lewis Hamilton have receded over the last few weeks, but let's see.
"Contractually Newey cannot announce that he has signed for another team until September, however we have seen fluidity in his contract situation before."
Since the middle of last year, Aston Martin have fallen away from the fight at the front and are fifth in the constructors' championship after nine rounds.
Honda will supply Aston Martin with a power unit from 2026, when the first season of the new technical regulations begin and Alonso has previously declared the team have the best project for the future.
The Silverstone-based team opened a new factory last year and have a new wind tunnel which underlines their ambition to succeed in F1.
They signed Dan Fallows from Red Bull in 2022, who was key to Sebastian Vettel's four consecutive titles between 2010 and 2013, so Newey would be reunited with Fallows should he join Aston Martin.
Signing for Aston Martin would also keep Newey in the United Kingdom, whereas joining Ferrari would require moving to Italy, which may be another consideration for the 65-year-old.
"I think everyone in this paddock wants Adrian Newey," said Lance Stroll.
"I hear a lot of things - mainly from you guys [the media]! Last week I heard he was going to Ferrari and now he's coming to us. Next week he's going to be going to Williams.
"He's a legend of the sport and has more championships than anyone in this paddock."
On what Aston Martin can offer Newey, he continued: "It's a super-exciting factory. It's a young team but a very exciting project."
Sky Sports F1's Karun Chandhok:
"Ultimately, the only individual who knows what he will do is Adrian Newey. When it was announced he was leaving Red Bull, I genuinely believed him when he said he doesn't know what he will do next but isn't done with F1, which I also believe, because he's an unbelievably competitive person.
"I genuinely think he's sizing up his options. Ferrari, there is a romantic side of it where we want to see Newey, Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari together. But, maybe Aston Martin is where he is heading because they are based in the UK and that's where he has worked for most of his career since coming back from America in the 1980s."
Friday June 21
7.45am: F1 Academy Practice
8:50am: F3 Practice
10am: F2 Practice
12pm: Spanish GP Practice One (session starts at 12.30pm)
1.55pm: F3 Qualifying
2.50pm: F2 Qualifying
3.35pm: Spanish GP Practice Two (session starts at 4pm)
5.25pm: F1 Academy Qualifying
6.15pm: The F1 Show
Saturday June 22
9.35am: F3 Sprint
11.15am: Spanish Romagna GP Practice Three (session starts at 11.30am)
1.10pm: F2 Sprint
2.10pm: Spanish GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: Spanish GP Qualifying
5pm: F1 Academy Race 1
Sunday June 23
7.45am: F1 Academy Race 2
9am: F3 Feature Race
10.30am: F2 Feature Race
12:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Spanish GP build-up
2pm: The SPANISH GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag: Spanish GP reaction
Formula 1 heads back to Europe as the championship moves on to Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix and the start of a triple-header. Watch every session at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership - No contract, cancel anytime
