F1 legend Martin Brundle thinks Aston Martin’s acquisition of Adrian Newey is wise not just for the benefit of their cars, but also for who could be driving them in the future
Martin Brundle has delivered a Max Verstappen prediction which would be bad news for Toto Wolff.
The bombshell confirmation of Red Bull’s engineering genius Adrian Newey defecting to Aston Martin could create a domino effect in the world of F1. It’s been widely suggested Verstappen, who’s had a bumpy 2024 with his team, might take Newey’s exit as his cue to follow.
Mercedes, who’ve long been eyeing the three-time world champion, may see a prime opportunity arising in light of Lewis Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari next season, even though Kimi Antonelli, 18, was announced as his successor just this month.
However, Brundle feels Verstappen might actually gravitate towards Aston like Newey. He was asked about the possibility on Sky Sports F1, and the 65-year-old commentator didn’t blink before replying: “Absolutely.
That’s the thing with somebody like Newey, you’re going to also then attract the star players, the star drivers, who want to be part of that.”
Should Verstappen land at Aston rather than joining forces with Mercedes, it’d serve as a major curveball for Wolff – who has not shied away from expressing his desire to rope in the Dutchman down the line, despite rookie Antonelli stepping into Hamilton’s shoes for now. Nonetheless, George Russell might find a silver lining in there after being cautioned by Nico Rosberg that his position is “not safe” as long as Mercedes keeps courting the Red Bull ace.
Newey, who is widely considered as F1’s top tech chief and was with Red Bull for nearly two decades, boasts an impressive career record of 13 drivers’ championships and 12 constructors’ titles across stints with three different teams. Reports suggest he could rake in as much as £30million per annum as part of his new deal – a figure Brundle insists will be worth it if the team can capitalise on his reputation and attract more big names to Silverstone.
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