Adrian Newey will be ‘bothered’ by what he’s heard about team boss who wants to sign him

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Adrian Newey is leaving Red Bull at the start of the next year, and the saga around his next move has just taken a fresh twist. Ferrari appear to be falling out of the race.

There was a time when the Scuderia looked like the favourites for his signature. It was recently claimed that Ferrari only had to negotiate the ‘final details’ with Newey before he could sign a contract.

But it now seems unlikely that he’ll link up with Lewis Hamilton at Maranello. Ferrari have lost their technical director Enrico Cardile and their priority is finding a replacement.

Much as Newey has an unparalleled level of experience and a remarkable track record in Formula 1, this isn’t the kind of role he wants. He prefers a part-time consultancy position at this stage of his career.

The Ferrari leadership is also wary of being dragged into a bidding war. Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll has already offered Newey more than £400k a week.

Indeed, the Englishman has ruled out a move to Williams over his wage demands. McLaren, another of his former teams, may be better placed to meet them.

Adrian Newey may be worried about working with Lawrence Stroll at Aston Martin

According to journalist Michael Schmidt, speaking on Auto Motor und Sport’s Formel Schmidt podcast, Newey could be ‘bothered’ by the prospect of working under Stroll. The billionaire isn’t the ‘easiest’ to work with, based on the word of those in the F1 paddock.

Stroll has been known to react angrily when Aston underdeliver on track. For instance, he got ‘pretty loud’ when their Imola upgrades didn’t deliver the expected results.

Schmidt says that Newey will value ‘harmony’ as he chooses his next destination. Much as he was ‘impressed’ by Aston’s new facility at Silverstone, Stroll’s reputation could give him second thoughts.

It’s worth remembering that there has been tension behind the scenes at Red Bull this year. Newey’s relationship with Christian Horner suffered, and he may now want a more peaceful working environment.

“Newey was already there in the factory and was shown around after the factory was evacuated,” Schmidt said. “I think he was the first one who saw the new premises, before most of the Aston Martin employees.

“It certainly impressed him. I think if he sees the facilities then the choice would be relatively easy. But of course he also knows, or certainly I’ve noticed, that Lawrence Stroll isn’t the easiest boss, and he needs a bit of harmony.

“He feels good when everything around him fits the way he imagines it. I think that will certainly bother him somehow.”

Stroll replaces figure who once called security on Newey

Aston haven’t achieved their goals on track this year. They started the year at a similar level to Mercedes, but they’ve slipped back into the thick of the midfield while the Silver Arrows have joined the fight at the front.

At the halfway point of the season, they’re more than 300 points behind championship leaders Red Bull. This has underlined the reality that they’re only at the start of their journey.

But Stroll is assembling the foundations of a race-winning outfit. He’s extended the contract of two-time world champion Fernando Alonso and signed former Mercedes engine chief Andy Cowell in addition to Cardile.

Significantly, Cowell will replace Martin Whitmarsh as CEO of Aston Martin Performance Technologies. Newey doesn’t ‘particularly like’ Whitmarsh, who had him escorted out of the McLaren factory by security before his exit in 2005, so he may now be more inclined to join.