Adrian Newey’s future remains the focal point in F1. Immediately after his Red Bull exit, Ferrari and Aston Martin engaged in a tug-of-war to sign the technical mastermind. As the speculations around his potential Ferrari move gained traction, Aston Martin was shoved out of the picture. But Lawrence Stroll’s latest business move of returning to Le Mans after 65 years with a Newey-designed Hypercar is turning heads. Is this ultimate form of flattery about to change Newey’s mind for good?

In 2016, Red Bull and Aston Martin collaborated to create the Valkyrie, a road-legal Hypercar. F1’s most successful designer, Adrian Newey, was put to the task of creating an absolute monster that nearly “bankrupted” Aston Martin. The base model was then sold for $3.5 million while the AMR Pro was priced at $4 million. Announcing their return to Le Mans with the Valkyrie, Lawrence Stroll promised to “write new history with a racing prototype inspired by the fastest production car Aston Martin has ever built.”

F1 Journalist Leo Turrini highlighted how Valkyrie’s Le Mans entry and Stroll’s sweet comments could be aimed at attracting Newey’s attention. “Speaking of new names in the WEC, just today Aston Martin made official its entry from 2025 with the Valkyrie, a car originally designed by a certain Adrian Newey at the time of the collaboration between the British brand and Red Bull,” Turrini wrote in his blog, adding, “Could it be, at least indirectly, Lawrence Stroll’s extreme attempt to attract the great design genius to himself?”

Stroll is an astute businessman who turned around a bankrupt Force India’s fate in 2019. Rebranding it to Racing Point and then Aston Martin, he witnessed his men’s meteoric rise in 2023. Alas, they couldn’t sustain the momentum of multiple podiums into 2024. This, along with a rumored mega Ferrari contract offer, might keep Newey away from the men in green.

Ferrari makes mammoth $105 million contract offer to Adrian Newey

Adrian Newey and Ferrari’s potential partnership has been very romanticized this year. With Frederic Vasseur already signing Lewis Hamilton, the ex-Red Bull CTO’s signing could assure guaranteed success for Ferrari. Exploring this possibility, Vasseur met privately with Newey in London earlier this year.

The speculations died down when Newey’s manager Eddie Jordan hinted at possible retirement for the 65-year-old. However, Business F1 has now reported that the Maranello outfit has offered him a 3-year, $105 million contract. This win-win deal, running from 2025 to 2027, could help Ferrari overthrow Red Bull from the top spot.

This also means Lewis Hamilton’s chances at the record-breaking 8th championship amplify multifold. Unless Lawrence Stroll plays spoilsport to this highly anticipated team-up, Ferrari finally stands a chance to break their championship curse. What’s your take on Newey’s potential Ferrari move? Share your thoughts in the comments.