"I have no idea what this means": Former F1 champion reacts to reports of Adrian Newey going to Aston Martin 

Former F1 world champion Damon Hill was left dumbfounded when it was reported that Aston Martin would announce Adrian Newey joining them after the summer break. The aero wizard's future has been hotly contested ever since he announced his exit from Red Bull ahead of the Miami GP this year. Newey spent 19 years with the team.

The 65-year-old won seven driver's and six constructor's championships with the Milton-Keynes outfit and worked in two dominant periods within the team. Post his exit announcement, many F1 teams such as Ferrari, Aston Martin, and McLaren have been behind Newey's signature to join them next year.

AutoSprint earlier reported that the Aston Martin F1 team would announce the signing of Newey in September after the legendary aerodynamicist agreed to a four-year deal worth $100 million.

Former world champion Damon Hill reposted the news on X (formerly Twitter) and wrote:

"I have no idea what this means."

Since the news has not been confirmed either by Newey or the British team, Hill's confusion is justified given the volatility of the market in the 2024 season.

Aston Martin ambassador praises Adrian Newey after his reported signing with them

Former F1 driver and Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de la Rosa said he was surprised by some of Newey's qualities when he worked with the Brit in his long test driver stint with McLaren from 2003-2011.

Speaking on DAZN, the Spaniard said:

“Adrian Newey has got it all. What surprised me the most when I worked with him, was how much he asked the drivers and how much he listened to them. When a driver tells him something he writes it down and he goes to work on it in the wind tunnel."

"That’s Adrian Newey. Always one step ahead. The advantage of being Adrian Newey is that he can choose his future, where he wants to go, and even his salary," Rosa added.

Former two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, too, had some kind words about Newey. He said the latter is one of the people that he wants to work with.

"I always wanted to work with him once in my life. I respect him a lot. I consider him the best probably F1 ever had, a legend of the sport. I feel in a way privileged to drive alongside him in the paddock, obviously as a competitor, but I feel lucky to be part of his journey and he was part of my journey as well because he always competed against his cars," Alonso said (via ESPN).

The former Red Bull CTO had previously claimed that he would make a decision regarding his next move during the autumn/winter of 2024.