Why Ferrari opted against hiring Adrian Newey ahead of his expected move to Aston Martin

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A few teams have been chasing Adrian Newey’s signature persistently throughout the course of 2024, and it looks like he might finally be about to sign on the dotted line.

Both Aston Martin and Ferrari made their interest in the legendary designer clear, but one of them backed out of a move over fears that a bidding war for his services might start.

It was formally announced in May that Newey would be departing Red Bull after 18 years with the team, and agreed not to announce his next destination until September.

He’s achieved 12 constructors’ titles in his career, and knows how to create a race winning car – making the sort of talent and experience he possesses, command interest from the entire grid.

Why Ferrari withdrew from the chase to sign Adrian Newey

According to Autosport, Ferrari withdrew from the battle to sign Newey over fears that it might start an ‘auction’ with Aston Martin.

They also report that the British outfit have tabled a £76m [$100 million] offer over three years, plus bonuses on top of that.

The Scuderia have instead opted to invest elsewhere in the company, which includes a new technical structure.

READ MORE: Three reasons why Red Bull face difficult task fixing RB20’s issues without Adrian Newey

With the arrival of Lewis Hamilton too, they’re going to need to make sure that they’re on top form from day one of the 2025 season in Bahrain.

Even if they did sign Newey, he likely wouldn’t have had much influence on their projects until the introduction of the 2026 car, such is the rate of which teams work ahead of schedule in the sport.

Can Newey help Lawrence Stroll realise his winning dream?

Lawrence Stroll‘s ambitions as owner of Aston Martin have always been to turn the outfit into a serious winning Formula 1 operation.

They showed signs of life in 2023, as they began to pick up regular podiums following the acquisition of Dan Fallows from Red Bull, but they have since taken steps backward.

Fernando Alonso, a man with bags of valuable winning experience is remaining with them beyond 2026, and with their recent infrastructure investments, it feels like they may only be a few pieces away from realising their dreams.

READ MORE: What Kimi Antonelli did before Monza FP1 crash that Lewis Hamilton never matched

Lance Stroll isn’t much of a serviceable second driver, but their World Endurance Championship Hypercar entry kicks off next year, and it could be a great option to put him in a Valkyrie.

With 2026 just around the corner, they have a real platform to kick on from, and a great opportunity if they sign Newey, to be the next big team in Formula 1.