Max Verstappen reacts to Adrian Newey’s move to Aston Martin as Red Bull tries to fix RB20’s problems

When asked about the problems Red Bull has had with the RB20 since Newey moved away from the front and whether he was surprised to see the 65-year-old Aston Martin badge, Verstappen replied: “I’m not surprised because I knew it was coming.”

“From my point of view, it is very difficult to know how the team works and so on… I am happy for Adrian, I spoke to him briefly, but it is just different challenges, isn’t it? If you have been in the team for a long time, I can also imagine that it might be a little more difficult for him. [it’s] a new challenge.

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“I know for sure that Lawrence [Stroll, Aston Martin owner] is doing everything it can to make the whole thing a success and of course I hope for her that it can be a success.

“We had a few problems with the car and are trying to fix them now. It’s not like everything is suddenly done from one weekend to the next. Especially with the budget cap, it’s not that easy to turn the car around. We have to be a bit patient.”