Ferrari inevitably find themselves at the centre of most F1 news stories. However, the reports linking the Scuderia to Adrian Newey earlier in the year were more than just conjecture. Ferrari were seen as one of the favourites to secure Newey’s services. This is no longer the case, with the 65-year-old expected to sign a deal with Aston Martin.
Ferrari no longer pursuing Newey
It is understood that Ferrari are no longer actively working to secure Adrian Newey’s signature. This is not to suggest there was no interest in signing Newey earlier in the season.
However, there has been no progress since the Scuderia’s initial offer to the Red Bull engineer several months ago.
Ferrari are working diligently to strengthen their technical team, especially given the departures of key personnel like Enrico Cardile. Former Mercedes Technical Director Mike Elliott is among the Italian outfit’s targets.
The team’s pursuit of Elliott in recent weeks has largely validated reports that Newey is not on his way to Maranello.
Vasseur’s priorities
Fred Vasseur has spoken candidly about his vision for the squad since being appointed as team principal.
Among the Frenchman’s most notable decisions since arriving at Ferrari was to resist the temptation for large-scale change. The team’s technical department has seen small tweaks rather than radical overhauls.
Consistent with this approach, it is understood that Newey’s demands were not compatible with the Ferrari’s overall vision. The British engineer would likely have wanted greater control and oversight than Maranello preferred.
For Vasseur, continuity of the team’s existing technical structure (both for the short and long term) is an important objective.
Therefore, committing to significant structural changes in the build-up to the 2026 regulation changes is a huge risk.
Aston Martin willing to accommodate
The reservations that have prevented Ferrari from pushing for Newey’s signature are similar to those felt at McLaren.
Zak Brown, the team’s CEO, is more than satisfied with the current structure at the Woking factory.
Elsewhere on the grid, Aston Martin has made Adrian Newey a top priority target for several months. Given Aston’s recent performance decline, Newey is an even more important asset in Lawrence Stroll’s eyes.
Thanks to the latest investments into Aston Martin, the Silverstone-based team are in a very promising position ahead of 2026. There is an immense quality of infrastructure and personnel, which continues to grow.
At the British team, Adrian Newey will likely enjoy far greater freedom than Ferrari were willing to afford him.
Partly because of this, the British engineer is expected to join Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll at Aston – deciding against a move to the iconic Ferrari brand.
