(Bloomberg) -- The Aston Martin Formula One team is pulling out all the stops to sign veteran engineer Adrian Newey, according to billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll.
The British racing engineer is stepping down as chief technical officer of Red Bull Racing early next year, and speculation has mounted about his next move. Newey is in high demand after helping to create a car that’s dominated the sport over the last few years and won multiple championships in a 19-year stint at Red Bull.
“Adrian is clearly the most talented and gifted individual in Formula One based on his track record and history,” said Stroll in an interview with Bloomberg Television. “So I’d be very excited for Adrian to join our team, as I think every other Formula One team on the grid would feel exactly the same.”
Asked whether he was pulling out all the stops to secure his services, Stroll said: “You can definitely assume that.”
Aston Martin, whose drivers include Fernando Alonso, is struggling to compete in this season’s championship and is currently fifth in the constructors’ standings.
Stroll was speaking from Venice, Italy, where he was launching the Vanquish sports car — the latest in a string of new models being unveiled by Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings Plc, the listed carmaker that’s separate from the F1 team.
The Canadian billionaire is trying to mastermind a turnaround of the car manufacturer after rescuing it in 2020. The company has had to tap investors for funds repeatedly, bringing in new shareholders such as Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
Aston Martin has for years been associated with the James Bond movies, but executive chairman Stroll is attempting to cash in the hype around F1 by launching new models more frequently than in the past.
Former Bentley Motors Ltd. boss Adrian Hallmark has taken over as the new chief executive officer of the car company, the fourth CEO since Stroll arrived. Hallmark is tasked with reviving Aston Martin’s share price, which has fallen by 36% this year.
Some analysts are skeptical about whether the company can hit its near-term goals, but Stroll said Hallmark “does believe in the targets.”
“We are on a plan, he’s bought into that plan and will be helping to deliver that plan,” he said, adding that the company is on track to become profitable this year, helped by the new car launches.
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