Ferrari has long been trying to sign Adrian Newey, one of the most successful car designers in the history of Formula 1. Over the years, Ferrari has made several attempts to lure Newey away from other teams, including Red Bull most recently, with at least four offers being made.
Among these attempts, there was one particular offer that was so lucrative that it led to many sleepless nights for the aero genius as he was put in a dilemma. This particular offer came at a time when both Red Bull and Ferrari were struggling with poor engine performance at the start of the turbo-hybrid era.
In 2014, Ferrari produced its first car that failed to win a race the entire year since 1993, largely due to the team’s misjudgment of the transition to turbo-hybrid engines. As tensions mounted within the team, Ferrari’s President at the time, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, made a bold attempt to secure Newey’s expertise.
Adrian Newey on nearly joining Ferrari in 2014…
“Back then I was pretty disillusioned with the whole thing…I nearly joined Ferrari. Although I was happy at RBR, the only thing that made me even think about moving was the fact that we were stuck with an uncompetitive engine.”
— Ferrari News (@FanaticsFerrari) December 28, 2022
According to a recent YouTube video from ‘The Race’, Di Montezemolo was prepared to give Newey complete technical control of both their road and race car operations. Additionally, he was also willing to more than double Newey’s salary, effectively making him Ferrari’s Chief Technical Officer.
At the time, Newey’s frustration with Red Bull’s situation was growing. The team was facing significant challenges due to Renault’s underperforming engines. And it seemed the perfect time for him to make the switch to Ferrari.
Why did Newey decline the offer of a lifetime?
Despite the team’s struggles, Newey ultimately chose to stay at Red Bull. His decision was driven by his emotional connection to Red Bull, a team he had helped transform into a four-time World Championship-winning machine.
Another factor in Newey’s decision to remain at Red Bull was his own ambition within the team. He was, at the time, pushing for a more significant role within the Red Bull hierarchy. So what has made him leave the team now?
Recent events have led Newey to reconsider his position at Red Bull. It is understood that Newey felt his influence was not fully appreciated as Christian Horner, the team principal, promoted Pierre Wache to Technical Director, making the French engineer a key figure alongside Newey.
The 65-year-old was also reportedly unimpressed with how certain situations were handled within the team, particularly concerning allegations made against Horner earlier in the year. Although an external investigation cleared Horner of any wrongdoing, the handling of the situation reportedly left Newey disappointed.
| According to Motorsport Italy, Adrian Newey has turned down Ferrari, and will select between Aston Martin and McLaren instead.
Newey and Vasseur had detailed conversations, but Newey spoke to other teams as well, and now the Newey-Ferrari rumours have faded completely.
It…
— Ferrari News (@FanaticsFerrari) July 12, 2024
Despite these growing frustrations, Ferrari’s latest attempt to bring Newey on board seems to be going nowhere. According to a report from BBC Sport, Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna is not willing to adhere to Newey’s salary demands. There are also concerns about the level of power and influence Newey would have if he were to join the team.
