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Laurence Edmondson, F1 Editor
Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll has spoken about his desire to sign Adrian Newey, following reports that a deal with the Red Bull engineer is set to be announced next week.
Red Bull revealed in May that Newey, who has been at the core of the reigning champion’s design office for 19 years, would leave the team in early 2025.
Aston Martin has emerged as the most likely destination for the 65-year-old, although the team has rarely commented publicly about its talks with Newey.
Asked in an interview with Bloomberg if Newey would move to Aston Martin, Stroll said: “I certainly hope so. Adrian and I have been talking not only for months but actually for years.
“Adrian is clearly the most talented and gifted individual in Formula One based on his track record and history.
“So I’d be very excited for Adrian to join our team, as I think every other Formula One team on the grid would feel exactly the same.”
When Stroll was asked if he would pull out all the stops to sign Newey, he added: “You can definitely assume that.”
Earlier this week the Daily Mail reported that Newey is set to sign a £20 million ($26m)-a-year deal with Aston Martin that would most likely be announced next week.
The same publication reported earlier this year that Newey was set to sign a deal with Ferrari, but a switch to the Italian team now seems unlikely.
During an F1 career spanning more than 40 years, Newey has been involved in successful constructors’ championship campaigns on 12 occasions with three different teams.
In a statement in May, Newey said: “Ever since I was a young boy, I wanted to be a designer of fast cars. My dream was to be an engineer in Formula One, and I’ve been lucky enough to make that dream a reality.
“For almost two decades it has been my great honour to have played a key role in Red Bull Racing’s progress from upstart newcomer to multiple title-winning team. However, I feel now is an opportune moment to hand that baton over to others and to seek new challenges for myself.”