Team got big boost from Aston Martin duo - boss

Aston Martin boss Mike Krack admits he would be "lying" if he tried to say two key appointments haven’t given the team a major performance boost.

Much of the credit for Aston Martin’s sudden performance surge in 2023 has been attributed to Dan Fallows and Eric Blandin - high-profile aerodynamics signings from Red Bull and Mercedes respectively.

"I would be lying if I said we didn’t benefit from the expertise of those two," Krack told Auto Motor und Sport.

"The approach is different in every team, so it gave us insight into how we do things. Do we need to make adjustments?"

And the latest big name linked with a move to Aston Martin is Red Bull’s technical guru Adrian Newey, whose current contract is said to be up for renewal.

"There’s always going to be rumours in this paddock. That’s Formula 1," Red Bull team boss Christian Horner told Sky.

"We don’t talk about contracts or longevity of contracts, but he’ll be here for many years to come.

"It’s great to have him with us for the long-term, but also to be involved in projects like some of the things that we’re now getting involved in," Horner added.

Another key part of Red Bull’s long-term strategy is Max Verstappen, who despite being under contract until 2028 has been vocal lately about the sport’s direction.

For instance, he is no supporter of F1’s latest sprint race format tweaks to qualifying and practice sessions.

"We’re heading into seasons where you have 24, 25 races, because that’s where we’re going to head into," the back-to-back world champion said.

"And if we start adding even more stuff, it’s not worth it for me anyway. I’m not enjoying that."

Horner admits Red Bull may be facing the prospect of losing 25-year-old Verstappen from Formula 1 altogether within a few years.

"Max is his own man and he’s very, very strong in his opinions and on his outlook on what he wants to do in his life," he said.

"And I don’t see him being a Fernando Alonso and still racing at 41 or 42 years of age, or maybe not in Formula 1."