Adrian Newey Leaving Red Bull: 3 Times When Ferrari Tried to Hire Aero-God; Is 4th Time the Charm?

In the wake of Adrian Newey being rumored to be forcing a move away from Red Bull, Ferrari has been named as the number one candidate to land the British engineer. The Italian outfit tried to sway the 65-year-old several times before but have failed. This time, however, the internal turmoil within Red Bull seems to make Newey’s exit more certain than ever and Ferrari could be close to completing the final piece of their puzzle.

On the Beyond the Grid podcast, Newey revealed that Ferrari tried to sign him on three previous occasions – during his time in IndyCar, in 1993, and then in 2014.

Newey told host Tom Clarkson that he refused a move to Ferrari in 1993 because he didn’t want to endanger his second marriage. Newey’s first marriage was affected because of his move to IndyCar. And he didn’t want a similar fate by uprooting his life to Maranello in 1993.

In 2014, Ferrari approached Newey a third time. The timing was immaculate because Red Bull’s dominant era (2010-2013) had just ended. Mercedes took over as F1’s strongest team and there was disappointment within the Red Bull camp. Newey spoke to them but admitted that the conversations were “purely out of frustration. “

#BBC “Newey has been strongly linked with Ferrari and is known to have been made an offer by Aston Martin, but he is likely to be of interest to all leading teams now his availability is known.”

— tami. (@Vetteleclerc) April 25, 2024

Fast forward to 2024 and Ferrari makes yet another attempt to land the man dubbed as F1’s ‘Aero God’. BBC Sport confirmed that the 65-year-old has already put in his papers at the Milton-Keynes-based team and that a move to Ferrari is most desirable for him.

Newey’s move to Ferrari isn’t confirmed yet. However, he was sighted in Bologna (Italy) on Thursday, making these rumors even stronger.

Ferrari ready to dominate F1 with Adrian Newey and Lewis Hamilton

With Newey on board, Ferrari will have everything it needs to become a Championship winning outfit (on paper at least). Fred Vasseur has proven his worth as Team Principal since taking over in 2023. With Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, they also have what is arguably the strongest driver line-up for next year.

Ferrari also announced a title sponsorship with Hewlett-Packard that will see them earn $90 million a year. With hefty resources, two strong drivers and potentially Newey on board, the future looks bright for Ferrari.

Fred Vasseur really got Lewis Hamilton and Adrian Newey to join Ferrari.
What a man #F1

pic.twitter.com/JJi0KFC7l4

— Unicorn (@hamburgerh0tdog) April 25, 2024

The 2026 engine regulation changes are right around the corner. If things go according to plan, the Maranello-based outfit could be ending Red Bull’s reign and taking over as F1’s new most dominant team. However, Ferrari also remains wary of its rivals’ progress. Teams like McLaren are also making big strides and could become potential Championship contenders in the years to come.