Ferrari probes Adrian Newey’s openness to joining the team.
In a highly volatile Red Bull environment, the Scuderia is working to explore all possibilities to strengthen their team. Less than two months ago, Fred Vasseur’s Ferrari shocked the Formula 1 world by signing Lewis Hamilton.
The 7-time Champion’s acquisition was a blockbuster announcement and a statement of intent from the Italian outfit. However, the British driver’s arrival is not the only signing Ferrari is working to complete.
Since taking the team principal role a year ago, Vasseur has made no secret of his intentions.
Improving all areas of Ferrari, from infrastructure to operational efficiency and engineering talent, are priorities for the 55-year-old. There has already been movement in this respect, with Vasseur poaching several senior personnel from Mercedes.
These new arrivals are strengthening a team that is already in the ascendancy. After spending a little over twelve months at Maranello, the French team principal is already overseeing visible improvements.
Last year’s mid-season progress on tyre management was a refreshing change for the team, whilst this year’s SF-24 is already confirming the effectiveness of their simulator tools. Despite these positives, there is always room to improve.
Reports linking Newey and Ferrari intensify
Adrian Newey is perhaps the most renowned engineer in motorsports, let alone in Formula 1. His understanding of the current generation of F1 cars, as evidenced by Red Bull’s success since 2022, was spot-on from day 1.
Concepts that are still eluding the likes of Mercedes were quickly incorporated into Newey’s calculations.
Understandably, he is an invaluable asset to Red Bull. Meanwhile, any team on the grid would love access to his services.
According to reports from the Italian outlet Funoanalisitecnica, negotiations between Ferrari and the British engineers are underway. Additionally, talks are expected to continue in the coming weeks and months.
Although the extent to which Newey is considering a move away from Red Bull is unclear, a departure from the Austrian team is not beyond the realms of possibility.
The internal upheaval at Red Bull has calmed down, but it seems preemptive to suggest the team’s frictions are over. Even if externally the situation is improved, the consequences from the last few months of in-fighting are yet to be seen.
For someone who has spoken previously about regretting never having worked for Ferrari, it is worth following his story.
