High-profile signings do not rule out the arrival of Adrian Newey, says Aston Martin

Amid the uncertainty revolving around star designer Adrian Newey's future, Aston Martin's team boss Mike Krack denied that the Silverstone-based outfit gave up on the Briton despite its recent requirement drive.

Adrian Newey announced his departure from Red Bull on the 1st of May. The news broke exactly on the 30th anniversary of the death of three-time F1 champion Ayrton Senna.

Newey later explained that he did not want to choose this day to announce his looming departure from Milton Keynes, but such was the speculation around his future that he was forced to clear the situation.

Since the announcement, the speculation around Newey's future has been immense. The Briton has suggested on multiple occasions that he might take a short break before he commits himself to a new project, indicating that it might be another spell in an F1 team.

Although Ferrari was first tipped to have secured Newey's services, Aston Martin has moved into the spotlight since. However, the Silverstone-based outfit has recently announced a number of high-profile recruits including Bob Bell, Andy Cowell and Ferrari's technical director Enrico Cardile.

Asked about the possibility of Newey's signing, Aston Martin team boss Mike Krack said that the recent recruits do not exlucde the star designer.

"We're still in a period of growth – but I think we have to be open-minded and dynamic, in terms of personnel as well as car development. This isn't a sport that rewards consolidation.

"Obviously, that has to be constructed around a stable core. You need to have routines and you need to have trust and establishing that trust can take a long time – but you should never sit back and say 'we are fine'. There's always a need to be looking at what you can do better, what you can change. Doesn't necessarily mean you make that change – but you have to keep asking the question.

"We've announced several new members of the senior management team over the last few months, and each time someone new arrives, I'm asked the question: 'Is that the last piece in the puzzle?' It isn't. It never is. We'll continue to look at recruitment, because perhaps there's somebody else out there that's going to make us better.

"I say 'out there'. It's important to never forget that we have a lot of talent within the team that we're consistently trying to develop and bring up through the organisation.

"You look outside because the organisation has to stay dynamic, has to be open to new perspectives, but we need to give the team that's already here the opportunity to mature, to express itself, to naturally migrate to areas of greater responsibility."

Although Aston Martin has completed the majority of its high-tech Technology Campus, Krack says that the British outfit is still a work in progress.

"Very much so, but the same can be said of any F1 team – you're constantly evolving, constantly finding ways to improve and get stronger.

"We're expanding to the point of parity with the front-running teams in terms of numbers, and when the AMR Technology Campus is completed, we'll have a best-in-class facility for making F1 cars that also provides a pleasant, inspiring and empowering environment in which to work, and a useful tool for recruitment that also hits all of our sustainability targets," concluded Krack.