Red Bull chief Helmut Marko feels Ferrari have just lost ‘important man’ to F1 rival

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Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko feels Ferrari have just lost an ‘important’ figure to a rival Formula 1 team after the Scuderia confirmed his immediate leaving.

After a strong start to the 2024 Formula 1 season, the momentum has left Maranello to see Ferrari slip away. The Scuderia had kicked off the campaign as the nearest challenger to Red Bull with podiums and the win at the Australian GP. But they are now the fourth-best squad.

McLaren and Mercedes, who have won the past two Grand Prix, have overtaken Ferrari with their recent upgrades. Now, it is McLaren who think they are in a genuine fight with Red Bull for the constructors’ championship. Yet Ferrari do still sit second ahead of the Hungarian GP.

Helmut Marko thinks Ferrari have lost an ‘important’ man in Enrico Cardile

Red Bull stand head and shoulders clear of the field with 373 points from the first 12 rounds of the season. But McLaren have eaten into the Milton Keynes natives’ advantage to achieve 295 points, only seven fewer than Ferrari have so far, with Mercedes in fourth on 221 points.

Ferrari also revealed after the British GP that Enrico Cardile has left his role as their technical director, chassis area with immediate effect. He moved to Maranello back in 2005 as head of the termica department, became the head of aero in 2016 and took up his final role in 2023.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari in 2025

After leaving Ferrari with immediate effect, Cardile has already signed with Aston Martin for 2025. He will move to Silverstone as the team’s chief technical officer and is the latest name owner Lawrence Stroll has targeted after Aston Martin appointed Andy Cowell as their CEO.

Red Bull chief Marko feels Ferrari will regret letting Cardile leave to join Aston Martin and is interested to see if his departure also makes Lewis Hamilton regret quitting Mercedes. The 39-year-old signed a multi-year contract with the Scuderia in February to join them in 2025.

“I can’t say [if Hamilton made a mistake joining Ferrari],” Marko has told OE24. “That will be exciting, too. Ferrari has lost an important man in chassis boss Cardile.

“Let’s wait and see what happens with Adrian Newey. He has some top offers, including from England, and can decide where he goes.”

Ferrari and Aston Martin are fighting to sign Red Bull icon Adrian Newey

Like Marko, Hamilton will be keeping close tabs on what Newey decides to do next after Red Bull confirmed in May that he will leave in early 2025. The team from Milton Keynes agreed to let their chief technical officer out of his contract and did not tack on any gardening leave.

Newey is, seemingly, now deciding between Aston Martin and Ferrari for his next adventure in F1. Stroll even sent Aston Martin’s staff home to give Newey a private tour of their factory recently. But Ferrari remain firmly in the mix as they move to tempt Newey to join next year.

While the design icon is yet to sign with any Formula 1 team, Newey and Ferrari are in talks over the last details of a contract. The Scuderia are also open to concessions such as letting Newey visit Maranello when he wants to fend off Aston Martin owner Stroll’s lucrative deal.