Ferrari blocks Enrico Cardile’s move to Aston Martin

For Aston Martin, this week was supposed to be filled with hope. The Silverstone team welcomed Adrian Newey with great fanfare, the famous engineer, officially marking his role as the new technical management partner. However, this prestigious arrival is overshadowed by a major setback: the arrival of Enrico Cardile, recruited to become the chief technical director, is blocked by Ferrari.

This situation has led to a legal imbroglio between Cardile and his former employer, Ferrari, which has decided to strictly enforce the non-compete clause of its former chassis technical director. The Italian justice system has ruled in favor of the Scuderia, extending this clause until July 17, 2025.

A detrimental blockage for the 2026 project

This court decision is a major setback for Aston Martin. Enrico Cardile, whose recruitment was announced in July 2024, was supposed to take office in early 2025. This delay will prevent Cardile from contributing to the crucial development of the 2026 single-seater before July 18, 2025. However, the 2026 season will mark a major turning point in Formula 1 with the introduction of new technical regulations. His absence during the initial months of the development of the 2026 car could therefore be very detrimental to the ambitions of the British team.

Ferrari justifies its position, Aston Martin downplays and awaits a resolution

Ferrari justifies this blockade by stating that Enrico Cardile had already violated his non-compete agreement by collaborating with Aston Martin before the end of his gardening leave. The Scuderia explains that this clause aims to prevent other F1 teams from gaining an unfair competitive advantage by hiring him earlier than planned, thus causing irreparable harm to Ferrari.

For its part, Aston Martin adopts a cautious stance. The team stated that this is a matter between Enrico, Ferrari, and their legal representatives in Italy, and all parties remain committed to this process. Aston Martin refuses to make any further comment at this time and promises an announcement in due course.

Despite the arrival of Adrian Newey, this impasse surrounding Enrico Cardile represents a significant setback for Lawrence Stroll, owner of Aston Martin, who aims to play a leading role in Formula 1 by 2026. Andy Cowell, recently promoted to director of Aston Martin, finds himself facing a thorny issue right from the start of his term. He will need to manage this situation effectively to minimize the impact of this setback on the development of the future car and on the engine partnership with Honda, also planned for 2026.