Negotiations between Ferrari and Newey cool down
Red Bull's British engineer is said to have recently turned down Scuderia Ferrari's advances following certain points of contention between the two parties. Free at the end of the year following his departure from Red Bull, Newey is reportedly considering two options: Aston Martin and McLaren.
The prospect of seeing Adrian Newey, the legendary Formula 1 engineer, join Ferrari and the Maranello factory seems to be fading by the day. According to information from the Italian branch of Motorsport.com, Ferrari has recently frozen negotiations with the famous 65-year-old designer, despite the glowing comments from Frédéric Vasseur, the team principal: « Adrian has an impressive track record. He is the most successful engineer in the paddock. I don’t know the statistics, but I would say that’s probably it.
Many Complications Between Ferrari and Newey
The first difficulty lies in the financial aspect of the negotiations. Ferrari’s CEO, Benedetto Vigna, would not be willing to meet Newey’s salary demands, which would be over 20 million dollars. This amount is considered too high by the Italian team.
Moreover, Newey’s recruitment could lead to structural upheavals. Vigna recently expressed concerns about the potential impact of the sexagenarian on Ferrari’s internal organization, fearing that he might take too many directives and seize excessive power.
From a personal point of view, Adrian Newey would have reservations about leaving England, his home country where he has spent the majority of his Formula 1 career. Since his beginnings at March in 1986, followed by his time at Williams where he won four driver’s titles and five constructor’s titles between 1991 and 1997, to his successes at McLaren and Red Bull, Newey has always worked in England. This loyalty to his home country could influence his decision to stay close to his roots.
Two Contenders to Recruit Adrian Newey
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his future, two teams seem to be in a good position to recruit Adrian Newey: McLaren and Aston Martin. These two British teams seem to meet the requirements of the famous engineer, particularly Aston Martin.
The CEO of the Lawrence Stroll team recently invited Newey to visit the team’s new facilities, highlighting the developments and future ambitions of the team. The financial aspect is not a problem for Aston Martin, supported by the Canadian billionaire, who would be willing to offer a salary of 25 million pounds per year (around 30 million euros) to attract the British from Red Bull. A potential collaboration between Newey and the driver Fernando Alonso, whom Newey particularly admires, could thus come to fruition.
Discussions with McLaren and Williams appear to be less advanced than with Aston Martin, making the latter the most likely option for the former member of the March team. Joining Aston Martin would represent a new challenge for him and could help the team achieve its ambitions in Formula 1.
