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Former Ferrari team manager Peter Windsor says his “understanding” is that Adrian Newey has already rejected a lucrative Aston Martin offer, and now “he’ll think: ‘Mercedes or Ferrari, which one do I want to go to?’”
F1 analyst, and former Ferrari and Williams team manager, Peter Windsor has provided more information on what Adrian Newey’s next move could be after he leaves Red Bull.
On his YouTube channel, Windsor said at this point Newey has “plenty of options”.
Asked whether Fernando Alonso extended his Aston Martin contract, because he was promised that Newey would join the team, Windsor said:
“It’s possible. I think Alonso would have signed the deal anyway even without this promise.
“Because it’s a team where he’s found a home, he’s got good backing, the Strolls like him, he’s doing a good job for Lance, it’s going to get better and better, they have great facilities.
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“They all want to have Adrian Newey. That’s a point that needs to be made. Ferrari, Mercedes, Aston Martin would all want Newey, for sure.
“My understanding is that he’s already been offered a lot of money by Aramco, and Aston. And he has turned it down. That is my understanding of what the Aston situation is.
“It doesn’t surprise me. He doesn’t need the money. Money isn’t a motivation for him. It’s racing. It’s whether he enjoys it, whether it fits with whatever he wants to do, other things in life.
“Throw a billion pounds at him now? It won’t make a lot of difference. It might have 10 years ago, or eight years ago. Now? I don’t think so.
“My understanding is that he’s already rejected that. So I’d be surprised if he goes to Aston. Of course, it is still possible.”
Windsor then said he believes Newey will ultimately choose between Mercedes and Ferrari.
“The next one is Mercedes. They will offer him a lot of money, I’d imagine. He’ll think: ‘Mercedes or Ferrari, which one do I want to go to?’
“They are two big, political teams. They have won races recently, he knows he could do a good job recently.
“My gut feeling is that he’d rather go to Ferrari, of those two. He probably has a lot of faith in Fred Vasseur.
“But it brings with it a lot of drama – politics, pressure,” the Briton concluded.
