Credits: IMAGO / PanoramiC

Forget about drivers. Adrian Newey, the master designer, is currently the hottest property in Formula 1. As Red Bull is going through a rough patch behind the scenes, rivals are making every effort to poach Newey. The latest to join the list is Aston Martin. Helmut Marko reacted to the development and is well aware of the void Newey will leave if he decides to move on.

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Speaking with Motorsport.com (Dutch), Marko said, as quoted by F1 Maximaal, “There is no doubt that Newey is the most coveted designer in the entire paddock. Everyone wants him on board. This is not the first offer he has received, and most likely it will not be the last.” He added, “It would be a significant loss.”

Motorsport Italy earlier made claims about Aston Martin making an offer to Adrian Newey. Team owner Lawrence Stroll is reportedly a huge admirer and is ready to offer Newey whatever it takes for him to leave Red Bull.

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Stroll isn’t the first to approach the Red Bull CTO, though. Earlier reports (from Italian publications) claimed that Newey established a connection with Ferrari. The parties reached an advanced stage in negotiations and reportedly plan on meeting for the second time to seal the deal. As per the same report from funoanalisitecnica.com, the meeting is set to take place sometime between the Japanese GP and the Chinese GP.

Helmut Marko, well aware of Newey’s value, further weighed in on his importance for Red Bull. The Austrian revealed how the Brit plays a role that goes beyond that of just an engineer. As per Marko, Newey is a star attraction for young engineers who join Red Bull just to work with him.

The Adrian Newey legacy at Red Bull

Adrian Newey joined Red Bull with an already booming cult status. The 65-year-old joined the team right from its inception when Red Bull took over Jaguar in 2005. Before that, he has experience working with the heavyweights like McLaren and Williams.

Newey bagged the 1998 and the 1999 world championships while working with the Woking outfit. Mika Hakkinen narrowly missed out on another one in 2000. In a league of his own, Newey has won 25 world championships, two of which came last year through Red Bull’s constructor’s and Max Verstappen’s driver’s championship trophies.

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Clearly, he is cruising through a purple patch with Red Bull currently. But is the current turbulence enough to drive him away from Milton Keynes? It could be as Newey himself once admitted that never getting a chance to work with Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton was a loss for him. Both of those could happen in the event he decides to jump ship to Maranello in 2025.