The possibility that Adrian Newey will re-emerge at Aston Martin rather than Ferrari has increased substantially.
Red Bull refugee Newey, arguably the most respected designer in Formula 1 history, has said in the past that one regret is not ever working with either Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso.
When asked about Newey this week, Alonso - now at the rapidly developing Aston Martin team - answered whilst smiling: "I like him very much.
"He is a fierce rival, who has helped every team he has been with to be better - to always look for a better version of ourselves.
"Now that he is free, on the market, logically we would all want, or dream, of having that possibility," the two-time champion told the EFE news agency.
However, even Alonso admitted that the "rumours, the talk" has mainly been about the likelihood of Newey re-emerging in Formula 1 at Ferrari. Some authoritative publications even think a lucrative contract has been signed.
But the respected Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf is suddenly reporting that Newey recently visited Aston Martin’s new factory at Silverstone for a "private tour".
Correspondent Erik van Haren believes Newey and Red Bull have agreed that the 65-year-old’s next destination in F1 will not be announced this year - whilst he works on the RB17 hypercar project.
When asked about Newey’s reported visit to Silverstone, a spokesperson for Aston Martin said: "Our team is a very attractive project with Lawrence Stroll’s vision, a state-of-the-art new technology campus and exciting partnerships with Aramco and Honda.
"Many high-profile individuals from all walks of life are linked to the team, but we have nothing to announce," De Telegraaf quoted the official as saying.