Which choice will Adrian Newey make among the various proposals on the table? Contrary to what insiders were saying, the English car designer has not yet signed any contract with Ferrari.
Adrian Newey has only signed an option agreement with the Maranello team, which should expire by the end of July. The Scuderia has allocated an extra budget to secure the British engineer as a super-consultant, although the amount discussed is significantly lower than that proposed by Lawrence Stroll, owner of Aston Martin: 100 million pounds for four years. An investment worthy of a top driver!
After spending several weeks in the spotlight, Adrian Newey seems to have stepped out of it for a few days, giving himself time to make the best decision for his future: after deciding to leave Red Bull Racing, where he was a major figure for 18 years, he is weighing the pros and cons of the various offers he has received.
Whoever has the privilege of acquiring him will certainly benefit greatly in the design of the agile car that will debut in the 2026 Formula 1 championship. Ferrari is in the running, just like Aston Martin, but there is also talk of McLaren and Mercedes, who would do anything to take him off the market.
Toto Wolff, if he managed to secure the legendary car designer, might have some hope of convincing Max Verstappen to leave Red Bull and accept a new challenge. The Dutchman might be interested in a change of scenery not so much due to incompatibility with Christian Horner, but out of fear that the power unit being developed in Milton Keynes may be more immature than expected, despite the “poaching” of engineers from Brixworth, home of the Mercedes engines.
Ferrari’s offer is very advantageous: Adrian Newey would not have any presence requirements in Maranello but could work with great autonomy, spending only a few days a week working from home or his South African residence. Only a few details remain to be defined before moving to the actual signing.
The English technician would become one of the three top figures in Ferrari’s management and thus would not be subject to budget cap constraints, but the potential agreement would need to be formalized when the signature is affixed. The Maranello-based company is listed on the stock exchange and must adhere to strict market rules to avoid speculative fluctuations of the stock. The situation, as they say, is fluid: the door to the Maranello team is wide open, but Adrian Newey, who evidently likes to be courted a bit, also finds the alternatives quite appealing.
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