Newey's judgment: Why Aston Martin is both suitable and not suitable for Verstappen

During the weekend that Formula 1 celebrates its crown jewel - the Monaco Grand Prix - much attention goes to Adrian Newey. For the first time on behalf of his new employer Aston Martin at a race, the British designer not only looks at what can be improved in the team, he explains why Aston Martin is and isn't a potential top team.

It's no secret that Aston Martin would like to tie Max Verstappen to itself, should the Dutchman decide to leave Red Bull Racing behind (which is not the case at the moment). In one of his media appearances, Adrian Newey indicated that Aston Martin is not yet ready for Verstappen. "In this particular case, that's choosing a 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."

Would that happen in the future? It very well might. Newey has indeed experienced in his first months that Aston Martin is doing everything it can to improve. That this doesn't come without difficulty became clear to the designer after he saw the simulator. "You can have the best motion system in the world, but if you don’t have the modelling to go with it, and correlation with the aero model, correlation with the tyre model and so on, it won’t be of any use," Newey remarked.

The problem with the simulator won't be solved overnight; it could take up to two years, a period during which Aston Martin isn't interesting for Verstappen. After that? It very well might be. Newey also says: “The factory is probably the best factory in Formula One. And the wind tunnel is arguably the best in Formula One.”, cites The Telegraph.

In short, if the simulator is sorted, then Aston Martin has the best facilities in Newey's eyes. And then, the team could well be attractive to Verstappen…