Adrian Newey has ruled out one of his main suitors as the design guru prepares for his Red Bull departure.
A host of F1 teams are rumoured to be interested in securing the 65-year-old's signature, with his trophy-laden 18-year spell at the constructors' champions set to end over his displeasure at the ongoing Christian Horner saga.
Ferrari are among the likely destinations for the former Williams technical director, who is said to be 'seriously considering' an offer from the Italian giants.
However, one rival team's hopes of landing Newey, widely considered the greatest designer in the sport's history, have been dashed according to the BBC's Andrew Benson.
The F1 pundit says that despite concrete interest from Aston Martin, Newey has no interest in entering discussions with the Silverstone-based outfit.
The Brit has been an invaluable member of the Red Bull team since 2006, and has helped deliver six constructors' championships during that time, and Benson believes Newey will have a huge impact on whichever team he joins.
"He has been made offers by Ferrari and Aston Martin", he revealed.
"I’m told by sources close to him that he is seriously considering Ferrari but is not interested in going to Aston Martin.
"But I would not rule out someone else coming in for him. Not every team could afford him. But McLaren and Mercedes certainly could - and going there would be less disruptive domestically to Newey, even if it would not have the same romantic draw as Ferrari.
"Newey is rightly regarded as the greatest F1 designer in history so, even if he is not full-time in F1 these days, he will have a huge impact on any team he joins, and losing cannot but hurt the one he leaves."