Often sought after, approached, but never finalized: this could summarize the relationship between Adrian Newey and Ferrari, a pairing that seemed perfect, inevitable, but one that never materialized. Over the years, Ferrari fans have often dreamed of the British engineer joining the Maranello team, and the Scuderia itself has made several attempts to secure the most brilliant and successful technician in Formula 1.
Adrian Newey himself commented on these attempts months ago, recalling that in the past decades he had received at least two offers from the Maranello team (especially in 2013, when the deal fell through on the eve of the Spanish GP), but these never led to a partnership.
However, after Adrian Newey’s departure from Red Bull last May, a union seemed possible, with two realistic options for the legendary car designer: Aston Martin, which is counting on him to kickstart a winning cycle (with enormous financial offers), and Ferrari, which has been pursuing him for some time, ready to leverage its standing to convince him to wear red. The Ferrari option, until recently, seemed the most likely and was on the verge of being made official. It was a perfect scenario for many, but not for Lawrence Stroll, who first arranged a private visit for Adrian Newey to Aston’s factory and then dramatically improved his financial offer to convince him to move to Silverstone.
Even today, Adrian’s future remains uncertain and is often the subject of much discussion. However, as reported by the Italian weekly magazine “Autosprint,” it seems that his move to Aston Martin is now almost certain, potentially to be announced in early September, following the collapse of negotiations with Ferrari a few months ago due to the British engineer’s high demands in terms of power and responsibility. This reality was discussed by Italian journalist and Ferrari insider Leo Turrini in his official blog “Profondo Rosso,” where he praised Ferrari’s attempt to hire Adrian Newey but did not fault Maranello for the deal falling through, attributing it to the former Red Bull’s engineer’s own choices and the multiple options he had, which allowed him to spark a bidding war.
“I have always maintained that Maranello did the right thing by making an offer to the Leonardo da Vinci of F1. At the same time, I easily imagined that Newey would have other offers. […] In any negotiation, there are different options. It’s normal. If Ferrari doesn’t manage to sign Newey, it’s not to be blamed. There’s no rule that says Adrian has to say yes. Enzo Ferrari, to stay within our small world, once considered Stirling Moss the greatest driver. He never managed to sign him. Gianni Agnelli wanted Gigi Riva at Juventus at all costs. It never happened. I could go on.” – Leo Turrini explained.
