Verstappen a ‘Pipe Dream’ Until Aston Build a Better Car, Says Newey

Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands speaks during the drivers' press conference at the Formula One Grand Prix of Monaco at the Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo, Monaco, 22 May 2025. (EPA)
Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands speaks during the drivers' press conference at the Formula One Grand Prix of Monaco at the Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo, Monaco, 22 May 2025. (EPA)
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Verstappen a ‘Pipe Dream’ Until Aston Build a Better Car, Says Newey

Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands speaks during the drivers' press conference at the Formula One Grand Prix of Monaco at the Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo, Monaco, 22 May 2025. (EPA)
Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands speaks during the drivers' press conference at the Formula One Grand Prix of Monaco at the Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo, Monaco, 22 May 2025. (EPA)

Aston Martin's chances of signing Max Verstappen will be a "pipe dream" until they have a car good enough for Red Bull's four-times world champion, according to the team's design great Adrian Newey.

Newey, whose cars have won multiple Formula One championships for three teams, joined Aston from Red Bull in March with speculation Verstappen might eventually link up with him again.

Verstappen has won two of seven races this season and is third overall behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris while Aston Martin are seventh in the standings and far from the podium places.

Double world champion Fernando Alonso, now 43, has yet to score.

In Monaco to attend a race for the first time since his move, Newey was asked the inevitable questions about Verstappen's future.

"Max is clearly a phenomenal talent, and he's a supreme competitor and part of that means that Max likes to break things down to a simple common equation," he told reporters.

"And that is, in this particular case, choosing the team that he believes will deliver the fastest car. So if we're to ever attract Max, the first thing we have to do is make a fast car.

"It's a pipe dream about anything else from there."

The Briton said it had been easy to settle into his new surroundings and, while focused on next year's car, had spent time assessing how the team worked and the strengths and weaknesses.

He singled out the driver-in-the-loop simulator as requiring a lot of work, while the new wind tunnel was arguably the best in Formula One.

"It (the simulator) is not correlating (to the track) at all at the moment, which is a fundamental research tool and not having that is a limitation," added Newey, who said fixing the simulator would probably take two years.

Newey said Aston Martin, whose state-of-the-art Silverstone factory is on the old Jordan team site, had good people but needed them to settle down and work better together after a period of expansion.

The designer said the 2026 rule change, the start of a new era for Formula One, offered "a reasonable amount of flexibility" and expected a range of different solutions.

He said he was working at the factory "pretty much full-on".

"My wife, she kind of says I go into a design trance," he explained.

"When I get into this sort of period of intense concentration, I tend to not see left and right, all my processing power is going into the one area which is trying to design a fast racing car."



Reports: Liverpool Agree to Sign Frankfurt Striker Ekitike

Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike (L) is reportedly set to join Liverpool. Daniel ROLAND / AFP
Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike (L) is reportedly set to join Liverpool. Daniel ROLAND / AFP
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Reports: Liverpool Agree to Sign Frankfurt Striker Ekitike

Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike (L) is reportedly set to join Liverpool. Daniel ROLAND / AFP
Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike (L) is reportedly set to join Liverpool. Daniel ROLAND / AFP

Liverpool have agreed to sign Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike in a deal worth an initial £69 million ($92 million), according to reports on Monday.

The Premier League champions switched their focus to Ekitike following Newcastle's refusal to sell Sweden striker Alexander Isak, who is valued at around £150 million by the Magpies, AFP said.

Newcastle and Manchester United were also interested in Ekitike, but Liverpool look set to win the race for one of Europe's hottest young stars.

It is believed the Reds have agreed to pay a potential further £10 million in add-ons to sign the 23-year-old Frenchman, whose overall price tag could reach £79 million.

Once the transfer is completed, Ekitike will link up with Arne Slot's side on their pre-season tour of Asia.

Ekitike scored 22 goals in 48 games in all competitions for Frankfurt last season after joining the Bundesliga club from Paris Saint-Germain.

He was an unused substitute during his side's pre-season friendly against FSV Frankfurt on Saturday, with Eintracht boss Dino Toppmoller admitting Ekitike's impending departure was "a bitter loss".

Liverpool have an opening in their forward line after Diogo Jota's recent death in a car crash in Spain.

The Reds are also believed to be willing to sell Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez, while Colombia forward Luis Diaz has been the target of a rejected bid from Bayern Munich.

Liverpool have already splashed out £116 million on Germany playmaker Florian Wirtz, as well as signing defenders Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez from Bayer Leverkusen and Bournemouth respectively.

Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili has also linked up with Arne Slot's side since the end of last season after agreeing his move from Valencia in 2024.