Patrese: Newey doesn't have high expectations for 2026.

      Riccardo Patrese is one of the drivers who at one time had the chance to pilot the famous Williams FW14B. It was behind the wheel of that car that Nigel Mansell won the title in 1992, and Patrese finished as runner-up. It’s worth recalling that that chassis with active suspension is still regarded as one of Adrian Newey’s masterpieces; in the first half of the ’90s he was Williams’ chief designer.

      Since then Patrese and Newey have remained on friendly terms, and this summer they met at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

      “I spoke with Adrian at Goodwood, and he isn’t pinning much hope on next year, because Aston Martin won’t have time to be fully prepared,” recalls the Italian Formula 1 veteran. “And if they do manage to be ready to fight for wins, then all the better for Newey! But he honestly said that the team still won’t be ready to contend for the championship.

      “However, you never know how things will turn out, because Adrian is an incredible man. Perhaps deep down he hopes that Aston Martin will manage to get ready, but he simply doesn’t want to say so. He also said that they are not ready to sign a contract with Max Verstappen, because the team would not be able to provide him with a car capable of fighting for wins. That’s exactly what he said.

      “We’ll see what the results are, whether their new car will have championship potential. And if it does, then in the future Max could definitely become one of the candidates for a seat at Aston Martin.”