After the arrival of Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari, fans dreamed of seeing Adrian Newey in red as well. However, the British engineer appears to have been swayed by Lawrence Stroll and Aston Martin, with an official announcement possibly coming in the next few days. But why did the former Red Bull mastermind choose to stay in the UK? Let’s try to analyze the reasons behind his absence at Maranello.
Who rejected whom?
First of all, the question seems to be this: are we sure it was Newey who turned down Ferrari’s offer? According to some sources, Fred Vasseur may have decided to withdraw from what was turning into a full-blown bidding war. Lawrence Stroll, on the other hand, spares no expense. He didn’t when he acquired the team or when he signed Fernando Alonso, so why would he now when he has the chance to hire one of the greatest game changers in Formula 1?
According to the latest estimates, Newey’s salary is expected to be just under thirty million per season. This figure is certainly not out of reach for Ferrari, which has reportedly offered nearly double that to Lewis Hamilton. So why didn’t Ferrari match Stroll’s offer? It seems that Frederic Vasseur’s main goal is to maintain a certain balance, including financially, within the team. Newey’s arrival with such a high salary could have caused internal friction, something Vasseur might have wanted to avoid.
The good old Adrian
This isn’t the first time Adrian Newey’s name has been linked to Ferrari. It has happened on several occasions in the past, as confirmed by the British engineer himself. In those cases, the reason behind the lack of an agreement was Newey’s desire to stay in England to be close to his family and avoid moving to another country.
This may have been a key factor in his decision to join Aston Martin’s project. Stroll’s team boasts a state-of-the-art headquarters in the UK, conveniently located near other teams’ facilities.
Market opportunities
Following the announcement of Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari starting in 2025, several Mercedes engineers have decided to follow suit. Among them is Loic Serra, recently announced as Ferrari’s new technical director. Vasseur’s decision to recruit figures from Brackley could be a strategic move to help the seven-time world champion settle in. Working with familiar faces might be part of the “instant team” idea they hope to create in the short term.
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Given Lewis Hamilton’s age, he is likely to remain at Maranello for no more than a couple of seasons. In this context, having a technical director like Serra could help both Hamilton and Ferrari achieve the main goal of this “move of the century”: bringing the title back to Maranello.
Source: f1ingenerale
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