P1racenews AI automatic summary:
“Professionally, I do think they hold each other in high regard, but what I’m saying is it’s been expressed by one or two people that they didn’t maybe click as personalities.”
Sky Sports F1 reporter Craig Slater has suggested that Max Verstappen and Adrian Newey “hold each other in high regard”, but did not “click as personalities”. Newey, who was Red Bull’s chief technical officer for three of Verstappen’s four F1 title triumphs, left the team mid-season during Verstappen’s fourth win in 2024 at the Miami Grand Prix. This departure coincided with Red Bull’s drop in performance, winning only five races for the rest of the year as Verstappen faced tough competition from Lando Norris in the championship. Despite their previous success, speculation arises about Verstappen’s future with Aston Martin eyeing a potential move, given Newey’s presence could lead to a future poaching attempt. Verstappen’s F1 future remains uncertain, with rumors of a potential exit clause in his contract and ties to Mercedes, while Aston Martin insists on retaining Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll in their driver line-up for the upcoming season.
