Frederic Vasseur would have opposed Adrian Newey’s arrival at Ferrari not for economic reasons but due to issues arising regarding the English designer’s demands.
The end of the Adrian Newey saga
Despite the direct interventions of Piero Ferrari and John Elkann, once again the partnership between Adrian Newey and the prancing horse seems destined not to materialize, and perhaps, given a look at the records, it never will.
The English designer, in fact, after months and months of speculation about his possible new destination once his departure from Red Bull was formalized, would have decided to accept the relentless pursuit of Lawrence Stroll, determined to move heaven and earth to secure the most successful technician of all time in Formula 1 and bring him to Aston Martin.
For the Silverstone team, it would be another major coup, after having already snatched Italian aerodynamicist Enrico Cardile from the prancing horse a few weeks ago, positioning the English team as a serious contender for the title in the 2026 Formula 1 campaign, relying on an incredibly valuable technical staff with the already present Dan Fallows, Luca Furbatto, Tom McCullough, and with recent additions Andy Cowell and Enrico Cardile.
So why, despite weeks of talk about an agreement close between the parties, did Adrian Newey once again choose to pass over the Maranello team and stay in England?
According to weekly magazine Autosprint, it was Frederic Vasseur who vetoed the technician’s arrival. The Frenchman reportedly opposed not for economic reasons but due to issues that arose during negotiations concerning the significant demands of the legendary British engineer.
Specifically, in addition to a salary request worthy of his stature, the Englishman would have demanded decision-making powers, including the right to veto “the hiring of new engineers, the assignment of roles, and the acceptance of technical partnerships,” tasks currently covered by the Ferrari team principal.
According to reconstructions, therefore, Adrian Newey would have been willing to finally accept Maranello as a destination on the fourth occasion, but pushing too hard on his demands led Frederic Vasseur to make a different decision, causing the deal to fall through.
Barring any dramatic changes, therefore, we will not see the Adrian Newey – Lewis Hamilton duo dressed in red in 2025, with the former Red Bull engineer instead ready to join Aston Martin’s F1 project.
Source: f1ingenerale
