Verstappen on Aston Martin: Maybe for the future but not now

Newey's decision to join Lawrence Stroll's dream team, rather than the sport's legendary Scuderia Ferrari, is the biggest talking point in the Baku paddock ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Of course, the biggest losers in the saga are Red Bull, who have lost the design genius that guided them from their inception as an F1 constructor two decades ago. All their success can be attributed to Newey-designed cars, including 25 F1 titles claimed by vehicles built under his watch.

Despite the blow, the triple F1 World Champion, who owes much of his success to Newey's creations, remains pragmatic about the development: "Everyone would like to work with him. Adrian and I have a very good understanding. I sent him a message after the news came out, even though, of course, I knew it was coming.

"I'm happy for him, you know; it's a new challenge. I always said I would have loved him to stay, but at one point, you can't change these things, so then you're just excited for people seeking new challenges," the Verstappen told reporters.

When asked about following Newey to Aston Martin, Verstappen responded diplomatically: "That is something maybe for the future that I might think about, but not now."

With Newey on the board, a shareholder, and likely anchored to Aston Martin for the foreseeable future, billionaire Stroll holds an ace which he might play when trying to lure Verstappen to the team. But not for now...

Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko, Newey's colleague since the beginning, reflected: "Adrian was a real game changer, being the only one in the team with the experience and knowledge to win a World Championship.

"He brought his entire wealth of knowledge to the table, guiding us on what to do to become a winning team. I think he was one of the key figures. Back then, none of us knew exactly how to win races and championships. In that context, a single person could make a difference.

"Today, however, with a team of 2,000 people, it is the group that is decisive, not the individual. This is also thanks to the use of advanced simulation tools and the availability of a much greater amount of data," explained Marko.