Aston Martin has pulled off an impressive move in the technical market by hiring a former Ferrari engineer with great experience in one of the most crucial areas for car development. The British team has signed Marco Fainello, an expert in simulation and artificial intelligence systems, marking another high-profile addition to the technical group led by Adrian Newey.
In recent months, several well-known names have left Maranello. Among them are Wolf Zimmermann, the mastermind behind Ferrari’s 2026 engine project, and Lars Schmidt. Following his contract renewal, Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur has been working to reorganize the technical department ahead of the next Formula 1 season. The Frenchman will personally oversee the final decisions regarding the new car’s design, alongside two fellow countrymen — Technical Director Loïc Serra and the recently appointed head of aerodynamics, Franck Sanchez. Ferrari’s recent hiring strategy has focused more on young talents rather than experienced senior engineers.
Aston Martin, on the other hand, has been very active in the market. The team has already secured Enrico Cardile, Ferrari’s former Technical Director, who now serves as Chief Technical Officer working closely with Adrian Newey. And now, another historic name from Ferrari’s golden era joins the British outfit — Marco Fainello.
Marco Fainello joins Aston Martin, a key figure from the Schumacher era
According to reports from Motorsport.com, Aston Martin has signed Marco Fainello, marking his return to Formula 1 after 13 years away from the paddock. The 61-year-old Italian engineer brings with him decades of experience in one of the most advanced fields of car development. Since on-track testing was heavily restricted by the FIA, simulation technology has become an essential tool for understanding car behavior, and this is precisely Fainello’s area of expertise. He specializes in simulation systems and artificial intelligence applied to vehicle performance.
Currently serving as CTO at Danisi Engineering, Fainello has also been Executive Director at Add-For for the past eight years. This high-tech Turin-based company, in collaboration with VI-grade, has developed an artificial intelligence algorithm called Sybille, designed to enhance driving feel and minimize latency in motion platforms. His extensive experience makes him a valuable addition to Aston Martin’s growing engineering team.
The hiring of Fainello was reportedly recommended by Enrico Cardile, and he will serve as a senior performance consultant for the team. A graduate in Mechanical Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Milan, where he wrote his thesis on tire dynamics, Fainello was one of the key technical figures during Ferrari’s dominant Schumacher era. He joined the Scuderia in 1995 after working at the Fiat Research Centre from 1990 to 1994, initially serving as vehicle engineer for Jean Alesi and Michael Schumacher.
In 1997, Fainello was promoted to Head of Vehicle Dynamics, a role he held until 2004. That same year, he led the development of Ferrari’s first driver-in-the-loop simulator, built in collaboration with Moog. He later became Ferrari’s Performance Development Director and in 2012 moved to the company’s Industrial Division, taking charge of performance development for Ferrari’s road cars. Under his leadership, Ferrari introduced the innovative Side Slip Control (SSC) system, now featured on all of the brand’s road-going models.
In 2014, he also contributed to the development of the Ferrari FXX-K, one of the most advanced cars ever produced by the Maranello brand. After leaving Ferrari in 2016, Marco Fainello is now set to make his Formula 1 return with Aston Martin, bringing his vast experience and technical insight to the British team’s ambitious project.
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