The key Ferrari figure who personally vetoed the signing of Adrian Newey

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Ferrari won’t be signing Adrian Newey following his resignation from Red Bull. The much-anticipated combination of a legendary designer and an iconic team hasn’t materialised.

Before this year, Newey had already come close to joining Ferrari three times. It seemed as if their fourth approach would finally be successful.

They wouldn’t have to worry about prising him away from Red Bull this time, because he was free to join another team in early 2025. Team principal Fred Vasseur held talks with Newey after he resigned, and negotiations reached an advanced stage.

Ferrari offered Newey exactly the role he wanted, but their interest cooled at the decisive moment. And now he’s set to join a rival instead.

According to a report in Italy, Aston Martin have won the race for Newey. They could officially announce his arrival as early as next month.

Aston owner Lawrence Stroll has put a giant £80m, four-year contract on the table. As a result, Newey will out-earn 15 F1 drivers, including his would-be colleague Fernando Alonso.

Why Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur rejected Adrian Newey

Autosprint claim that Ferrari initially planned to sign Newey at all costs. But that proved to be solely a figure of speech.

The 65-year-old wanted a say in the team’s recruitment, assignment of roles and technical partnerships. When he learned of these demands, Vasseur ‘got in the way’ of the move.

• READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

The ‘economic aspect’ was never an issue, which suggests that Ferrari could have paid a similar salary to Aston. The bigger problems were ‘political’.

‘Vasseur said no’ to the signing, and while Enzo Ferrari’s son Piero was personally involved in the negotiations, the team principal’s word held sway. He still has to fill a hole in his technical department following the departure of Enrico Cardile, who’s also joined Aston Martin.

How Lewis Hamilton is likely to feel as Aston Martin win Adrian Newey race

When it seemed likely that Newey would join Ferrari, many expressed their excitement at the prospective link-up with Hamilton. It would have been a truly formidable combination.

Ferrari mentioned Newey in their negotiations with Hamilton, which may have helped persuade him to join. The 39-year-old is likely to be disappointed that Ferrari have missed out.

Indeed, he’s seen the team fall to fourth in the competitive order and lose their aerodynamic figurehead in recent times. The extent of his task at Maranello may be larger than he first imagined.

Still, he’ll be energised by the challenge that awaits. Andrew Shovlin says Hamilton would only have stayed if he had a dominant car, which points to his eagerness to fulfil his Ferrari dream.