Why F1 design genius Adrian Newey turned down several offers from Ferrari

British F1 engineer Adrian Newey, currently the chief technical officer of Red Bull, is a highly sought-after figure in the world of Formula 1 and has been a target of Ferrari for more than a decade now, as the Maranello team attempted to recruit him on multiple occasions.

However, Adrian Newey remains firmly committed to Red Bull, as evidenced by the recently agreed upon new deal with the Austrian side, who wanted to make sure it would not lose a key figure, as his presence has been truly invaluable.

With a track record of designing championship-winning cars for Williams and McLaren, Adrian Newey has continued his success as Red Bull’s chief technical officer. Under his amazing guidance, the Austrian side has secured five Constructors’ titles and six Drivers’ Championships, and their trophy cabinet is poised to expand even further based on what we are seeing in the 2023 Formula 1 championship.

Red Bull’s impressive performance this F1 campaign is once again a testament to their dominance, as they are well on their way to easily clinching the F1 2023 title double. With victories in all five Grand Prix races that have taken place in 2023, including four one-two finishes for Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, their competitors such as Aston Martin, Mercedes, and Scuderia Ferrari find themselves mostly battling for second place in the Constructors’ standings behind the dominant Red Bull.

Show your support for Scuderia Ferrari with official merchandise collection! Click here to enter the F1 online Store and shop securely! And also get your F1 tickets for every race with VIP hospitality and unparalleled insider access. Click here for the best offers to support Charles and Carlos from the track!

This newfound rise to prominence puts the British engineer back in the spotlight, and it’s likely that part of Scuderia Ferrari wishes they could have secured his services after their previous attempts.

Vice Chairman Piero Ferrari has recently disclosed that both Frenchman Jean Todt, who oversaw the Italian side’s most successful Formula 1 period from 1999 to 2004, and former Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo had made unsuccessful offers to lure Adrian Newey to their team.

When asked about the reasons behind Adrian Newey’s refusal, Piero Ferrari has come to understand that the legendary F1 engineer is content with his settled life in his native England.

“He said no to Montezemolo and to Jean Todt,” Piero Ferrari replied in a recent interview with the Italian media when asked about the Maranello team’s attempts to sign one of the best aerodynamicists and car designers in F1 history – “Apparently he doesn’t want to move – he likes to stay in England. And apart from that, his undisputed skills aside, he doesn’t do it alone. He has very good people around him.” – he continued.

Expanding on his evaluation of the formidable Red Bull team, the Ferrari Vice Chairman emphasizes their ability to achieve success across various Formula 1 periods.

During the era of naturally-aspirated engines, Red Bull secured four consecutive title doubles from 2010 to 2013 with Sebastian Vettel. Although their streak came to an end with the introduction of hybrid power units, Red Bull has now reclaimed their position as the dominant force in Formula 1. In fact, their current performance advantage over the competition is arguably stronger than ever before.

“They are very good at building cars that are strong and go well on all circuits. “It’s not just now that they are strong. Today, Red Bull wins with hybrid engines, but previously the team won with naturally-aspirated engines. [Sebastian] Vettel won four World Championships with them and that was certainly no coincidence.” – Piero Ferrari pointed out in his interview for the Italian media.

The Maranello team will now be hoping to take advantage of the particular characteristics of the Monaco circuit and maybe even challenge for the race win in Monte Carlo, given the importance of the qualifying session at this venue, with the SF-23 car proving able to match the performance of the Red Bull RB19 in terms of low-fuel fast runs.