Adrian Newey has labelled Sky Sports’ coverage of Formula One “nationalistic” when discussing Max Verstappen’s status in the sport.
Newey, whose 2025 move to Aston Martin was announced on Tuesday, has been the chief designer behind Verstappen’s championship-winning Red Bull cars in the last three years.
Newey was also the lead architect behind the Red Bull cars which powered Sebastian Vettel to four straight drivers’ titles from 2010-2013 – a feat Verstappen is looking to match this year.
Yet Newey insists both Verstappen and Vettel have suffered from “demonisation” at times and referenced British broadcaster Sky’s coverage – which is also transmitted in English-speaking territories around the world – as having an influence too.
“I think from the outside I’m not sure people fully appreciate and understand Max, just like they didn’t with Sebastian,” said Newey, on The High Performance Podcast.
“First of all, there’s this sort of demonisation both of them suffered at times, which I think is very unfair, and maybe that’s also a little bit of the British media if I’m honest.
“Sky have a huge influence around the world, their viewing is truly international, but their coverage is quite nationalistic dare I say and that can have an influence.
“It’s this thing that now with journalism typically – there is that trend to sort of either put people on a pedestal or knock them down.”
Newey then elaborated on Dutch driver Verstappen’s skillset and detailed the three-time world champion’s best attributes.
“I think that he’s very intelligent and it almost feels as if he can drive the car automatic,” Newey added.
“He doesn’t, of course, but he can drive the car and has so much processing power left over that he can then think a lot about how he’s driving the car, how he’s looking after the tyres, what he might need to do on the settings… reading the race. It still fascinates me.
Verstappen has been linked with a move in 2026 to Aston Martin to reunite with Newey. Aston team principal Mike Krack stated on Thursday that the “door is always open” for Verstappen at the team.
F1 returns this weekend with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku. Verstappen has a 62-point lead in the standings to Lando Norris with eight races to go.
