‘Crazy’ conversations are taking place about Ferrari and Adrian Newey

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Ferrari have been trying to sign Adrian Newey for months now ahead of the designer’s Red Bull exit in 2025. But the battle for his services remains open.

Newey has previously rejected three offers from Ferrari, as revealed in an interview over the winter. Now, however, they can offer the incentive of working with Lewis Hamilton, the most successful driver in F1 history.

The 65-year-old may also be tempted to work for the sport’s most iconic team in what could be his final post. He’s won 25 combined titles during his time with Williams, McLaren and Red Bull.

Newey held talks with Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur prior to the Miami Grand Prix in May. The team have offered the kind of ‘super consultant’ role he prefers at this stage of this career.

The Scuderia started 2024 in strong fashion, winning in Australia and Monaco and scoring nine combined podiums in the first eight races. However, they’ve only managed one since, with Red Bull, McLaren and Mercedes now above them in the pecking order.

Martin Brundle says Ferrari need to get ‘back on track’ after recent upgrades backfired. Based on his CV, Newey could make their chassis the class of the field come 2026.

Michael Schmidt says Adrian Newey remains ‘torn’ despite ‘crazy’ Ferrari talk

One report claimed that Newey only needed to negotiate the ‘final details’ with Ferrari before signing his contract. But it also stated that he was open to the alternatives too.

Aston Martin are Ferrari’s main rival in the race for Newey. Lawrence Stroll has invited him on a tour of the team’s factory.

Speaking on the Formel Schmidt podcast, Auto Motor und Sport journalist Michael Schmidt called the noise around the Englishman ‘crazy’. He refuses to believe the move to Italy is imminent.

Newey recently said he’d make a decision in the autumn ahead of his February exit. He’s wary of rushing into the wrong environment.

Schmidt said: “Ferrari? I think that conversations have never been so crazy. You would think he’s starting at Ferrari tomorrow. I think he’s torn. He knows it’s his last stop and it has to be right. Let’s see where it goes.”

Ex-Ferrari employee drops Newey hint after Enrico Cardile exit

There was a significant development in the Newey race this week as Aston Martin confirmed the arrival of Enrico Cardile from Ferrari. The Maranello outfit have lost their technical director, but that does leave a senior vacancy in the department.

Red Bull executive director Helmut Marko believes Cardile was an ‘important figure’ within the team. If they can sign Newey, though, they’re unlikely to rue his departure.

Indeed, Aston Martin suspected internal unrest if Ferrari paired Cardile and Newey. Now that he’s captured the former, Stroll may not be willing to take that chance.

Former Prancing Horse strategist Ruth Buscombe dropped a hint about Newey on social media after this week’s news. If it does come to fruition, this could be one of the most significant off-track moves F1 has seen in recent years.