Luigi Mazzola and former Ferrari Team Principal Maurizio Arrivabene recently answered a key question: if Ferrari could choose between hiring superstar technical director Adrian Newey, now Team Principal at Aston Martin, or four-time World Champion Max Verstappen, who would they pick? Their answers were clear and revealing.
In recent years, Red Bull has shown how critical it is to have a superior car. Max Verstappen symbolizes dominance that stems not only from his immense talent but also from a technical project masterminded by Adrian Newey. For Ferrari, however, the problem has never been a lack of a star driver. Charles Leclerc has already proven he can compete with the best in the world. The real limitation has consistently been the car, which too often falls short of championship standards. This is why bringing in a figure like Adrian Newey would make perfect strategic sense. Even the best driver is powerless without a winning technical project. History confirms this: Michael Schumacher built his dominant era thanks to a world-class technical team led by Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne. Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost dominated with Gordon Murray’s McLaren. In Formula 1, the combination of talent and technical excellence has always been decisive.
Maurizio Arrivabene and Luigi Mazzola agree: “You have Leclerc, and he is the one to make fast”
Maurizio Arrivabene, speaking to Race Anatomy, stated, “Would you choose Newey or Verstappen? I would choose Newey, to make Leclerc win. I pick Newey because putting Verstappen in a situation where the car lacks a competitive structure wouldn’t achieve anything. Hamilton tried, but he couldn’t make it work. You have Charles Leclerc, and he is the one you need to make fast, because he is the one who can beat Verstappen.” Luigi Mazzola, also speaking on Race Anatomy, echoed this sentiment.
Looking at Ferrari’s present and future, the real challenge is not merely hiring the best driver available, but building a car that allows Charles Leclerc to fully express his potential. The #16 car has already drawn interest from three other teams, and the 2026 season is decisive. Ferrari already has natural talent behind the wheel, but without a solid technical structure and a clear vision, every effort risks falling short. Bringing in a world-class designer would finally give continuity and substance to a project that has long been marked by inconsistency. This is where the real battle lies: transforming Ferrari from a chasing team into one that sets the pace. Those with deep Formula 1 knowledge understand that Leclerc can win the title, but without a car capable of matching the best, no driver has ever succeeded.
As Maurizio Arrivabene and Luigi Mazzola made crystal clear: give Charles Leclerc an Adrian Newey-level car and the titles will follow. Anything less, and even the best driver in the world is just fighting with one hand tied behind his back.
