Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll has tabled an eye-watering offer to tempt one of Toto Wolff’s targets for Mercedes to join his Formula 1 team yet it may not be enough.
The Canadian billionaire is desperate to turn the Silverstone outfit he initially bought back in 2018 into a success. Stroll led a consortium to buy Force India before also bringing the Aston Martin name back to Formula 1 in 2021. He even tempted Fernando Alonso to join and stay.
Alonso joined Aston Martin in 2023 on an initial two-year contract but signed another initial two-year deal earlier in April. It will keep the two-time drivers’ champion in Silverstone past his 45th birthday. Now, Stroll wants to convince another F1 legend to join Aston Martin, too.
Aston Martin and Mercedes are fighting to hire Adrian Newey
That is according to Corriere della Sera, which reports that Stroll has made Adrian Newey an offer to switch Red Bull for Aston Martin. Newey is the most in-demand Formula 1 designer, having grown tired of the tensions stemming from the internal tussle for power at Red Bull.
Newey has been in Milton Keynes ever since Red Bull joined F1 in 2005 after purchasing the Jaguar team from Ford. But the 65-year-old now wants out of a contract running to the end of 2025. Yet Red Bull hold the cards as Newey also has a non-compete clause in his terms.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Aston Martin F1 Team from team principal to lineage
Aston Martin and Mercedes are both paying extremely close attention to Newey’s efforts to get out of his contract with Red Bull. Stroll is desperate to sign the most successful designer in Formula 1 ever. But Wolff also wants the 25-time championship winner to join Mercedes.
Wolff is eager to get one over his arch-rival Christian Horner by convincing Newey to switch Red Bull for Mercedes. Competition is fierce, however, as Stroll has offered Newey €25m-a-year (£407k-/w) to join Aston Martin, who will become a works Honda engine team in 2026.
Adrian Newey is considering retiring from F1 if he leaves Red Bull
Stroll and Wolff are fighting to make Aston Martin or Mercedes the team Newey leaves Red Bull for having designed 12 constructors’ and 13 drivers’ title-winning Formula 1 cars. He is also an expert on ground-effect cars from his thesis while at the University of Southampton.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Mercedes AMG F1 Team from team principal to lineage
Yet even Stroll’s offer of €25m-a-year (£407k-/w) might not be enough to convince Newey to join Aston Martin. Corriere della Sera adds that those close to Newey feel retirement, even just partial, from racing is possible to spend more time on his other interests such as sailing.
Signing Adrian Newey would be huge for Aston Martin or Mercedes
Signing Newey would be huge for Aston Martin or Mercedes ahead of Formula 1 introducing new engine and technical regulations in 2026. Both teams are miles away from fighting Red Bull at the front of the field right now. Aston Martin are also still to win a race in Formula 1.
Aston Martin failed to score a single point while on the grid in 1959 and 1960 and have only enjoyed nine podiums since Stroll brought the British brand back to F1. Mercedes have also not won a race since the 2022 Sao Paulo GP, with 2023 their first winless season since 2011.
Newey’s genius could, therefore, return Mercedes to the front of the pecking order in 2026. Alternatively, Newey – who Lewis Hamilton praised for doing a ‘phenomenal job’ in the past – could follow Honda from Red Bull to Aston Martin come 2026 and turn them into a success.
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