Former McLaren coordinator, Jo Ramirez spoke about Adrian Newey’s future destination in a recent interview with Mundo Deportivo. Having spoken to the 65-year-old at the Monaco GP, Ramirez claimed that Newey could still end up at Ferrari despite reports of him signing with Aston Martin. Moreover, the ex-McLaren stalwart also highlighted the quality that makes Newey a must-have for the Italian outfit.
He said, “Adrian always listens to you and if the suggestion is good, he uses it. If it’s not good, he doesn’t use it, but at least he listens to you. He’s a nice guy. He walks around the paddock alone, almost anonymous, humble. He’s a genius.”
However, not all F1 experts have a take similar to Ramirez. F1 journalist Peter Windsor, for example, believes that there are two other reasons why Ferrari would have perhaps rejected Newey. Firstly, Windsor said that Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur may not want to sign Newey, who may want “total control of everything”.
: Despite Adrian Newey’s expected move to Aston Martin, former McLaren coordinator Jo Ramirez believes the designer might still join Ferrari. Ramirez views Ferrari as the ultimate challenge for Newey, though current team principal Frederic Vasseur has opposed this move.#F1… pic.twitter.com/dYJy9j7iFj
— F1 Naija (@f1_naija) August 20, 2024
Secondly, Windsor believes that the Italian laws may have prevented Ferrari from signing Newey. If any of Windsor’s analysis is true, then it seems unlikely that Newey will sign for Ferrari for 2025 and beyond, despite the Briton’s regret of never having worked for the Prancing Horse.
On top of that, there is the location factor as well — with reports of Newey not wanting to relocate to Italy. This has made teams like Aston Martin, McLaren, and Williams the most probable teams where the British designer could go.
However, Aston Martin has emerged as the strongest contender with several reports of a $100 million deal for Newey over three to four years. This will also allow Newey to fulfill one of his wishes — to work with Fernando Alonso.
