Adrian Newey's chances of joining Aston Martin rather than Ferrari have notably increased.

The esteemed F1 designer, who has never worked with icons like Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso and expressed regret over it, is now a free agent.

Alonso, currently with the burgeoning Aston Martin team, shared his thoughts this week, stating with a smile, "I like him very much. He is a fierce rival, who has helped every team he has been with to be better - to always look for a better version of ourselves. Now that he is free, on the market, logically we would all want, or dream, of having that possibility," the two-time champion disclosed to the EFE news agency.

Yet, Alonso also noted that most of the "rumours, the talk" had been about Newey possibly returning to Formula 1 with Ferrari, with some sources even suggesting a high-value contract had been finalized.

However, De Telegraaf, a reputable Dutch newspaper, is now reporting that Newey took a "private tour" of Aston Martin's new Silverstone factory.

The paper's correspondent, Erik van Haren, mentioned that while Newey continues his work on the RB17 hypercar project, no announcement regarding his next F1 team will be made this year.

Upon inquiring about Newey's visit, an Aston Martin spokesperson commented, "Our team is a very attractive project with Lawrence Stroll's vision, a state-of-the-art new technology campus, and exciting partnerships with Aramco and Honda. Many high-profile individuals from all walks of life are linked to the team, but we have nothing to announce," the official was quoted by De Telegraaf as saying. body check tags ::