Max Verstappen F1 ally 'approached by Aston Martin' in shocking twist over Adrian Newey replacement

Verstappen in Red Bull tee looking concerned and pointing a finger in front of Stroll's Aston Martin F1 car on track and Newey on the right hand side in green — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Max Verstappen F1 ally 'approached by Aston Martin' in shocking twist over Adrian Newey replacement

Newey's search to find a new team principal has taken an interesting turn

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Thursday 19 March 2026 20:27

A close ally of four-time champion Max Verstappen and a vital member of the Red Bull F1 team has reportedly been approached by Aston Martin as they search for Adrian Newey's replacement.

The F1 design guru officially made the switch from Red Bull to Aston Martin last March, but a year on from his blockbuster move, his new squad are in the depths of a struggle that they don't appear anywhere close to getting out of.

After entering a new works partnership with Japanese power unit providers Honda, Aston Martin have failed to finish a single full-length grand prix at either of the two opening rounds of the 2026 championship.

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What's more concerning however is the genuine health risk the Honda power unit poses to Aston Martin's F1 driver duo of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso.

The Spaniard was even forced to take evasive action by taking his hands off the steering wheel entirely at last weekend's Chinese Grand Prix through fear of suffering permanent nerve damage from vibrations coming from the Honda PU.

But the woes of Newey's new team extend far beyond their power unit, with the British engineer said to be looking for his own replacement after Lawrence Stroll announced the surprising decision that he would be juggling his position of managing technical partner with a dual role as team principal in 2026.

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Gianpiero Lambiase gives Aston Martin switch verdict after poaching attempt

As reports run wild over who could replace Newey in the front facing role with the Silverstone-based team, one very surprising name has emerged- Verstappen's current Red Bull race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase.

A recent report from PlanetF1 revealed that Newey had been put at the head of the taskforce for finding his own replacement, with the report stating: "Gianpiero Lambiase, Max Verstappen’s race engineer and Red Bull’s head of racing, is also understood to have been approached, with Newey having detailed knowledge of his strengths following years of working together at the Milton Keynes-based squad."

Lambiase leaving Red Bull would have been a complete shock given that the 45-year-old recently confirmed his loyalty to Verstappen and the energy drink giants following reports that he had been tempted to exit the team ahead of the 2026 campaign.

But cracks did begin to show at last weekend's Chinese GP when Verstappen and Lambiase's often heated team radio talks reached boiling point before the Dutchman suffered his first DNF of the year.

But despite the fractured communication on show over the airwaves in Shanghai, Lambiase is said to have turned down to chance to be reunited with Newey at Aston Martin.

The above report continued: "Lambiase is said to have turned down the opportunity and remains contentedly in his current role at Red Bull."

Newey raids Red Bull in hunt for Aston Martin successor

The report also indicated that Newey had gone after the many talents he had worked with during his own time as the technical mastermind of the energy drink giants.

As well as Lambiase, the Brit is believed to have been in contact with former Red Bull sporting director and current Audi F1 team principal Jonathan Wheatley, who is said to have been 'negotiating' with Aston Martin. But unlike Verstappen's race engineer, it seems the door has been left open for Wheatley to weigh up a reunion with Newey, with the 58-year-old's 'personal life considerations' meaning he could be swayed by a switch to Aston Martin thanks to the role allowing him to move back to the UK.

An official team principal replacement is yet to be announced by Newey or Aston Martin.

Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

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F1 Max Verstappen Aston Martin Adrian Newey Gianpiero Lambiase