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Verstappen at Aston Martin nonsense? 'British team leaked news to media itself'
- Ludo van Denderen
Max Verstappen is being increasingly emphatically linked with Aston Martin. After a the Daily Mail recently reported that the British racing stable wants to attract the four-time world champion for as much as one billion pounds, the Verstappen camp neither wanted to confirm nor deny the report to GPblog. Aston Martin, however, was outspoken: "Absolute nonsense," it said.
However, German F1 Insider now reports that Aston Martin itself leaked the 'news' about Verstappen. This is said to have happened, according to the medium, after Adrian Newey indicated internally that Max Verstappen is needed to win that much-coveted world title.
The master designer will start his new job in early March, after coming over from Red Bull Racing. Newey has been tasked with making Aston Martin the best team on the grid and reportedly that includes having the best driver in the sport. According to the German website, he is reported to have said internally that 'the best racehorse needs the best rider'.
'Alonso and Stroll not found suitable'
In other words: Aston Martin must be doing everything in its power to bring in Verstappen. Worth noting: If Newey has indeed used such wording, it is also a message towards the current drivers of the ambitious team.
Newey is said to have indicated that Lance Stroll is neither talented nor ambitious enough. The Brit is also said to have been outspoken about Fernando Alonso. At 43, the Spaniard is reportedly too old for Aston Martin's project. Verstappen, though, would be the man for Newey.
This article was written in collaboration with Norberto Mujica.
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