After a brief spell away from full-time involvement in the Formula 1 paddock, Adrian Newey made his return last week. Not in the colours of Red Bull Racing – the team with which he achieved great successes – but in the green of Aston Martin. Max Verstappen admits that this was something to get used to. Once again with his notebook under his arm, Newey walked across the grid; as always, closely observing the technical innovations of the competition. This was also prominently the case in
Aston Martin's pit box earlier. Max Verstappen noticed it too, as he tells in the paddock in Barcelona.
“It just makes me think of how he was with us, in that scene in the garage there. But honestly, there's no point in thinking about it anymore. Adrian is no longer with us, we still have a lot of respect for Adrian, or at least I have a lot of respect for Adrian. He is also a great person, aside from all the success he had with our team.”
Verstappen admits it's strange to see the Brit with the competition. “Yes, seeing him now in green is of course a bit different, but I'm happy for him. I hope he's happy; that's ultimately the most important thing. And I'm sure he will contribute to their success. I'm curious what they can achieve next year, since he will be fully involved.”
This article was written in collaboration with Ludo van Denderen