Adrian Newey has now held ‘extensive’ talks with Aston Martin’s F1 rivals

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After Adrian Newey resigned from his Red Bull post in the spring, it seemed as if he was headed to Ferrari. The Scuderia were the clear favourites from the outset.

Newey’s move to Ferrari looked ‘done’ before falling apart late on. The Scuderia wouldn’t agree to his biggest demands.

Reports claim Newey wanted control over personnel and recruitment. And given that he’d only be joining the team on a part-time consultancy basis, Fred Vasseur wasn’t prepared to grant him this level of authority.

Newey was house-hunting near Maranello, but now it seems he’ll stay in the UK instead. There are three teams still in the running.

Of those, Aston Martin are the favourites. Martin Brundle even asked Lawrence Stroll, the team’s owner, what date Newey would be starting.

The Englishman will be available to work for another team in the first quarter of next year. He’s effectively serving his gardening leave now, only appearing at select races to market the RB17 hypercar.

Adrian Newey has held extensive discussions with Alpine over 2025 move

Aston Martin have offered Newey £80m over a four-year contract. That surpasses 15 Formula 1 drivers’ salaries.

But according to BBC Sport’s Andrew Benson, the 65-year-old is still ‘evaluating’ that offer. He won’t be making his decision on finances alone.

He hasn’t definitively ruled out a return to Williams, even though they’re second from bottom in the constructors’ championship. And Alpine are becoming more prevalent in the race too.

Newey is now deep into negotiations with Flavio Briatore, the man who’s effectively running the team. It’s previously been suggested that he could make a final decision in September.

“Aston Martin have made him an offer, which Newey is evaluating,” Benson wrote. “Williams, where Newey achieved his first successes in F1 from 1991-96, have expressed their interest. And Alpine have now entered the race.

“Newey is said to have had pretty extensive talks with Alpine executive adviser Flavio Briatore. The 65-year-old is still believed to be evaluating his options.”

Flavio Briatore warns of ‘ego trip’ as Alpine pursue Adrian Newey

It would be a risk to join Alpine, particularly at this stage of Newey’s career. The team have been in a state of upheaval at best and crisis at worst for the past year or so.

They have gone through three team principals in that time, with Bruno Famin replacing Otmar Szafnauer before giving way to Oliver Oakes during the summer break. They’re also set to sacrifice their works team status and become a Mercedes customer.

The F1 paddock thinks Alpine could soon be up for sale. Oakes’ former team Hitech could be among the interested parties.

Newey, then, must be aware that the team could look very different within a couple of years. Briatore wants to avoid an ‘ego trip’, instead only signing the legendary designer if he buys into the collective vision.