With two wins in the 2024 season already, Ferrari has firmly stationed itself as the challenger to Red Bull’s throne. While the momentum is on their side, Fred Vasseur is looking to bring Adrian Newey to Maranello. The move could further bolster Ferrari’s ambitions of starting the 2026 season strongly. However, the move could prove counter-productive as their current technical director, Enrico Cardile, might look to depart.
As per Motorsport, Cardile already has an offer in line from Aston Martin. The Silverstone-based team was earlier linked with Newey but the Red Bull CTO is reportedly considering a move to Ferrari.
If the 65-year-old makes the move, the role of Ferrari’s existing stalwarts, including Cardile, could diminish. The Italian aerodynamicist has played a crucial role in getting the team arguably on par with Red Bull.
| JUST IN: Aston Martin want to sign Enrico Cardile
Adrian Newey is NOT interested in signing for Aston Martin, so Lawrence Stroll is making an effort to secure the signature of Cardile.
[ @Motorsport ] #F1 pic.twitter.com/xxOkzBdZvF
— Ferrari Focus (@Scuderiascoop) May 31, 2024
The feat has raised Cardile’s stakes and made him one of the hottest properties in F1. Lawrence Stroll has time and again reiterated his commitment to take his team to the top. Hence, poaching an engineer of Cardile’s status would be a firm step in that direction and also a move that will unsettle Ferrari.
Cardile joined Ferrari in 2016 after switching from their GT program. He currently heads their chassis and aerodynamic department, a role he has proven his worth in gold recently.
Charles Leclerc recently registered his first win at his home race in Monaco. And the Monegasque and his teammate, Carlos Sainz, are now also the favorites to carry the form to the upcoming race in Canada.
Ferrari is only 24 points behind Red Bull and has a chance to cover that gap in the next race. With that in mind, Fred Vasseur might want to make it a priority to see that Cardile does not leave. Newey, however, still remains a target for him.
Fred Vasseur drops cryptic comment on Adrian Newey pursuit
Owing to legal obligations, Newey has stopped working on Red Bull’s F1-related operations, including the RB20. He is only allowed to work on their hypercar project, the RB17.
That is until he is free to leave in the first quarter of 2025. For the time being, he is enjoying his time away from F1 and aims to keep it that way before choosing his next destination. That destination is most likely to be Ferrari and Fred Vasseur is doing his best to downplay the expectations.
When asked if he was in touch with Newey, the Frenchman said, “I speak to everybody in the paddock when we meet, because we are well educated! On this point, I don’t want to make any comment because every single answer could be interpreted.”
The Ferrari boss has reportedly held multiple meetings with the master aerodynamicist. While getting him onboard is a priority, another would be to keep the incumbent crew stable. An exodus of engineers is the last thing the French manager needs right now.
