The year 2025 will bring many changes in Formula 1. Several surprising announcements have already been made. Transfers. One of them is Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari. In turn, Tuesday confirmed speculation about Adrian Newey, a brilliant engineer who worked with Red Bull for years and led it to seven drivers' world championships. In just a few months, he will become an employee of Aston Martin.
– I am excited to join this team. Lawrence Stroll's commitment and passion [właściciela Astona, przyp. red.] impressed and inspired me. He is determined to build a championship team. He is the only majority shareholder in the team who is so committed to the sport – the British emphasized. However, it turns out that Aston does not intend to stop at Newey and is preparing a real bomb that could shake the paddock!
Media: Aston Martin has a plan. It wants to sign Verstappen. Stroll is ready to sacrifice even… his son
As reported by Autosprint magazine, Stroll wants to “steal” another key figure from Red Bull, and from the car itself. We are talking about Max Verstappen, the three-time world champion. Allegedly, the owner of Aston is already in talks with the Dutchman, despite the fact that he has a valid contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028. However, it is possible that he will terminate it a bit earlier, and specifically before 2026. That is when he would join Stroll's team.
And that's not the end of the revelations. The billionaire is allegedly ready to sacrifice even his son, Lance. Verstappen is supposed to take his place. Young Stroll, in turn, is supposed to try his hand at WEC.
Verstappen has a dilemma. This could convince him to change teams
What could convince the Dutchman to change his colours? According to journalists, there are several reasons. One of them is the Honda engines that Aston will be equipped with from 2026. Another is the acquisition by the British team of Newey, one of the main creators of Verstappen's successes.
The Dutchman himself did not hide the fact that he is still on good terms with the engineer. “Whenever I see him, I have positive feelings,” he said in an interview with planetf1.com. And according to journalists from this portal, Aston can use this in negotiations. The next argument is, of course, the gigantic contract that Stroll can offer the world champion. It is not yet known how much it would be.
“At this point, the operation to bring Verstappen to Aston would be very reminiscent of the operation led by Jean Todt in 1995. Back then, he brought everyone to Ferrari: Michael SchumacherRory Byrne, Ross Brawn and other key engineers. It was then that a unique adventure began in Maranello, similar to the one Stroll is trying to start today,” we read in “Autosprint”. We will find out in a few months whether the billionaire will manage to do this.
For now, Verstappen is focused on competing with Red Bull. After a great start, there were many problems. In addition, the wind in their sails has caught up with their rivals, especially McLaren. Despite this, the Dutchman still leads the field. His advantage over second-placed Lando Norris is 62 points.