Enrico Cardile highlights cultural differences in his move from Ferrari to Aston Martin. Enrico Cardile discusses his transition from Ferrari to Aston Martin.

What Aston Martin’s Chief Technical Officer said

In 2024, there was speculation that Adrian Newey might join Ferrari, potentially working alongside then-Ferrari Technical Director Enrico Cardile. In the end, it was Cardile who effectively joined the aerodynamic genius at Aston Martin, even though the announcement of Enrico Cardile’s move came before Adrian Newey’s official confirmation at Aston Martin in September.

In a lengthy interview with Aston Martin’s official website, Enrico Cardile emphasized that the British team is laying the foundations for a significant future without trying to simply ‘copy’ what has worked elsewhere. Enrico Cardile explained, “Was there a cultural shock for me moving from Ferrari to Aston Martin? I believe there is a difference in culture. The goals are the same: everyone is focused on winning, but the Ferrari F1 team has a long history with well-established processes and tools. Here, we are still developing these aspects. This was one of the first messages I shared with my team when I started. We need to find our identity and use our vision to shape the organization so it functions the way we want. It is fine to draw inspiration from others, but copying how things are done elsewhere is not the right approach.”

He added, “We need to build something based on our strengths and allow us to work on our weaknesses. We want to be the reference point, not a clone of an existing benchmark. You cannot just copy what someone else does, no matter how successful they are, because that makes you a follower rather than a leader, and that is not the path to success. It is an ongoing process that progresses step by step. I have a clear vision and a clear plan, agreed upon with Andy Cowell, Adrian Newey, and Lawrence, on what we must do to improve the organization.”