Aston Martin is gearing up to make a significant announcement next Tuesday, 10th September, as the team has arranged a press conference.
Owned by Lawrence Stroll, the team is inviting a select group of Formula 1 journalists to Silverstone, amid widespread rumors that Adrian Newey has committed to a deal with Aston Martin starting in 2025 and continuing thereafter.
Although the exact topic of the press conference remains under wraps, the De Telegraaf newspaper has reported that Newey's current agreement with Red Bull restricts him from revealing his future plans before Friday, September 6.
A representative for Aston Martin declined to provide any comments on the matter.
However, it has been reported that Newey, aged 65, has been drawn to Aston Martin with an attractive offer reportedly worth $26 million per year.
The renowned and veteran engineer decided to progressively part ways with Red Bull earlier this year - a decision possibly influenced by the fallout from the Christian Horner scandal.
This turmoil may have also played a role in the decline of Red Bull's dominance in Formula 1 in recent months.
"It's clear that something like that doesn't help," Red Bull's Dr. Helmut Marko confessed to Osterreich newspaper this week. "But ultimately our situation is not directly related to technical problems but to the departure of important people."
"If certain employees want a change and receive a good offer or see a new opportunity, then they take it," the Austrian added.
With Newey and also other vital team members like Jonathan Wheatley moving on, Red Bull could even face difficulties in retaining Max Verstappen, especially since his contract, which runs until 2028, includes several exit clauses.
When questioned about Verstappen's future in 2025 and 2026, Marko stated: "Next year he will be driving for Red Bull Racing."
As for 2026? "Ah, that's so far away," Red Bull's senior F1 advisor remarked. "For now our full focus is on the 2024 world championship."
Asked at Monza last weekend if Newey's departure is linked to Red Bull's challenges, Verstappen replied: "I have always said that I would have liked Adrian to have stayed." body check tags ::
