The buzz around Adrian Newey’s future may have quieted down, but the fight to secure the F1 design legend is heating up. Now, it’s down to just two teams, with the hopes of fans seeing him return to Williams fading away.
Williams had initially hoped to bring Newey back, investing “hundreds of millions” into their infrastructure. However, the appointment looks less likely now. The latest twist? Aston Martin has made a hefty offer of $100 million over four seasons to lure Newey. This report comes from a source close to Dr. Helmut Marko.
Meanwhile, Ferrari seems to be out of the race to sign the 65-year-old maestro. According to *La Gazzetta dello Sport*, Ferrari balked at Newey’s current $10 million a year salary for just half a year’s work. They were also hesitant to meet his demand of recruiting up to 20 engineers of his choice. This effectively shuts the door on the dream team possibility of Newey and Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari.
Nevertheless, Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur hasn’t completely ruled out the idea of Newey joining the team. Following the announcement that Ferrari’s technical officer Enrico Cardile will be leaving to join Aston Martin as Chief Technical Officer next year, Vasseur hinted at big changes. He promised to announce Cardile’s replacement just after the summer break and dropped a cryptic clue by saying the new hire has a name with “five letters.”
Adding fuel to the speculation, Newey is expected to be free from his Red Bull contract by April 2025. This timing would be perfect for him to contribute to any team preparing for the big regulation changes in 2026. Vasseur, however, remains focused on the team’s collective effort, emphasizing that no single individual is more important than the group.
Despite the changes, Ferrari has managed to close the performance gap with Red Bull by a third since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, as pointed out by Vasseur. This improvement is credited to the hard work at the factory, but Vasseur still isn’t satisfied with the results. He noted that although Ferrari was the fourth fastest team last time in Hungary, they still have a long way to go.
Looking ahead, Ferrari’s upcoming race at Spa might pose another set of challenges. Carlos Sainz admitted that it’s been one of their toughest tracks in recent years. However, he remains cautiously optimistic, hoping that their low downforce rear wing will perform better this year.
As the F1 world speculates about Adrian Newey’s next move, it’s clear that the battle for his expertise is fierce. Whether he ends up at Aston Martin or Ferrari, his impact on any team will be monumental. Stay tuned as the summer break promises more revelations and shifts in the intricate world of Formula 1.
