James Vowles has now explained ‘what’s clear’ about Williams’ quest to hire Adrian Newey amid Aston Martin having talks to sign the departing Red Bull design legend.
The Formula 1 paddock is fighting over Newey after Red Bull announced their chief technical officer will leave in the first quarter of 2025. He has spent the past 19 years in Milton Keynes and helped to lift several titles. No one has won more drivers’ and teams’ titles than Newey.
Newey left McLaren for Red Bull before going on to design the cars in which Sebastian Vettel won four drivers’ titles. Max Verstappen has also won the last three drivers’ titles in Newey’s cars. Red Bull have even won seven constructors’ titles to make Newey a 25-time champion.
James Vowles believes Williams’ offer to beat Aston Martin for Adrian Newey is ‘clear’
Vowles is desperate for Williams to win the race for Newey, in what would mark a return to Grove for the 65-year-old. Newey started his Formula 1 career with March in 1988 but truly emerged as a design legend upon leaving Leyton House for Williams from the 1991 season.
But Williams are fighting strong competition and The Telegraph reports that Newey recently visited the Aston Martin factory in Silverstone. Lawrence Stroll is also desperate to land him but baulked at Newey’s request to seal a £50m a year wage, which he has reduced to £25m.
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Reacting to the reports of the Red Bull design guru’s visit to Aston Martin at the Spanish GP, Williams team principal Vowles re-emphasised his want to hire Newey. Yet the Grove team’s pursuit is not as far along as Aston Martin’s seems. But Vowles is clear in what they can give.
“Really the only two people that know all that is Adrian and, in that circumstance, Lawrence,” Vowles told Sky Sports News (22/6, 9:32). “What I can say is this, I maintain the same stance I’ve had before which is that Adrian has a place at Williams.
“It’s where he really grew up into who he is today. Look at the paddock, look at the teams he’s been in [and] look at the work he’s done. All of those teams became world champions whilst he was there. That’s not a coincidence, that’s a fact.
“However, what’s clear beyond that is what I’m offering on the table. We’re not there at that conversation yet. It’s a very different pathway perhaps that Aston Martin are providing. And that’s for him to decide which direction he wants to go down.”
Adrian Newey won five teams’ and four drivers’ titles with Williams
Together, Newey and Williams won the teams’ title in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996 and 1997. He also designed the cars in which Nigel Mansell won the 1992 drivers’ title, Alain Prost took it in 1993, Damon Hill won it in 1996 and Jacques Villeneuve took his Formula 1 title in 1997.
He also sealed a teams’ title and two drivers’ titles through Mika Hakkinen in 1998 and 1999 while with McLaren. Now, Vowles is not shy to hide his desires for Newey to re-join Williams after securing his departure from Red Bull. But the Grove team appear to trail Aston Martin.
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