Adrian Newey delivers Aston Martin bombshell

A former F1 driver has said that Aston Martin design legend Adrian Newey revealed to him that the team are 'not ready' for Max Verstappen.

Newey is largely considered to be the greatest designer in F1 history, and finds himself as managing technical partner at Aston Martin having left Red Bull following 19 trophy-laden years.

Across his stellar career, Newey-designed F1 cars have claimed a total of 25 world championships, across spells with Williams, McLaren and Red Bull.

Newey joined the ambitious Aston Martin outfit in March, and is finally working with two-time champion Fernando Alonso, a driver that he revealed he has always wanted to work alongside.

The Brit has not been too heavily involved in the development of the team's 2025 car, instead focusing on 2026 with new regulations set to sweep into the sport.

The team hope to be challenging for championships in the near future, and have been linked with the signing of four-time world champion Max Verstappen for 2027, but former F1 driver Riccardo Patrese has revealed a conversation with Newey that suggests the team are not ready for such heights.

"I spoke with Adrian at Goodwood, and he feels that next year they won’t be ready and not raise expectations," Patrese, who worked with Newey at Williams, told Racing Tipster.

"If they come out and they are ready, it looks better for him! But he seemed honest when he said they would not be ready to go for the championship.

"But you never know, because Adrian is incredible. Probably in his heart, he hopes to be ready already next year, but he doesn't want to say that.

"He also said we are not ready to get [Max] Verstappen next year because he doesn't think they can provide him with a winning car. This is what he says. Then we will see what will come out. He knows how strong Verstappen is, and if the car has the potential to win the championship, Verstappen can definitely be a choice for Aston Martin."

Can Aston Martin challenge for championships?

Aston Martin have one of the best drivers in modern history in Alonso, the best designer in F1 history and an ambitious owner in Lawrence Stroll who is pumping money into the team.

They also have a state-of-the-art new facility in Silverstone, and have finally been able to embed Enrico Cardile as chief technical officer having poached him from Ferrari in summer 2024.

On top of all this, Aston Martin are also about to enter a partnership with Honda to use their power units, a manufacturer that have powered Red Bull to four drivers' titles and two constructors' championships in recent years.

Honda are starting this new partnership right when wholesale engine regulations and chassis design regulations are entering the sport, in what may see a shake up in the competitive order in F1.

Therefore, teams like Aston Martin could be presented with opportunities to challenge higher up the grid from next season onwards.

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