Max Verstappen responds to Aston Martin’s advances and Adrian Newey’s unveiling

Max Verstappen has refused to get drawn on Aston Martin’s interest in signing him in the future, while acknowledging any F1 team with Adrian Newey is potentially ‘more attractive’.

Newey’s move from Red Bull to Aston Martin has dominated the media headlines ahead of Baku this weekend.

The 65-year-old was unveiled at Aston Martin’s HQ on Tuesday, becoming their new technical leader from March 2025.

Newey has played an integral role in Red Bull’s rise and title success over the past two decades.

Unsurprisingly, many have tipped Aston Martin, with Newey at the helm for success, with owner Lawrence Stroll reportedly eyeing Verstappen as a driver.

When asked about the speculation, Verstappen responded in Baku: “Again, like I said before, I have other worries that I am worrying about at the moment and that I am paying attention to and working on.

“That is something maybe for the future that I think about, but not now.”

When pressed on whether the signing of Newey makes Aston Martin more attractive, he added: “I don’t know, I’ve worked with him, so I know how he is as a person also and what he can do.

“I think everyone would like to work with Adrian in their career. So, yes, potentially it is, yeah.”

The signing of Newey has been described as the “final piece of the puzzle” for Stroll, who signed Honda as a works engine partner for 2026 earlier this year.

Verstappen conceded that it’s “understandable” why Stroll would want Newey at his team.

“To be honest, that’s fine because … I mean Adrian and I have a very good understanding and I also sent him a message after the news came out, even though I knew it was coming,” he explained. 

“I’m happy for him, it’s a new challenge and I always said I would have loved him to stay, but at one point you can’t overturn these things and you are just happy for people seeking new challenges and I also know that Lawrence is pushing flat out to make it a success with Aston Martin. So it’s quite understandable that he wants to have Adrian on his side.”