Somehow, F1’s most successful team, Ferrari, cannot afford to sign Adrian Newey. His salary demand stifled Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna, who “balked” at hearing it. However, Lawrence Stroll, the billionaire owner of Aston Martin, has offered a $125 million contract to the ex-Red Bull CTO with no hesitation. As the odds keep getting stacked against Ferrari, contrary to when they were the only team pursuing Newey, Team Principal Frederic Vasseur has given an ambiguous update on the negotiations.

Before BBC revealed the Ferrari CEO’s rejection of Newey’s salary demand, another story was making rounds on the internet. The technical guru had requested a consultant role from the Maranello outfit. But Frederic Vasseur & Co. couldn’t accept this, with them needing the strong presence of an on-site lead. With such volatility in discussions, the Ferrari team boss chose a Max Verstappen analogy to answer the same question once again.

“Is Ferrari also after Adrian Newey?” AMuS asked Vasseur, to which he replied, “It’s the same if I were asked: Are you interested in Max Verstappen?” adding, “I would like to see the team boss in the paddock who would answer no. It would be a serious mistake on my part if I didn’t think about Newey.” Confirming Ferrari‘s pursuit of Newey, Vasseur then elaborated on what’s the actual problem at hand.

“The question is different: Does he fit into the team? And what does he bring to the team for the future? That’s not a sure thing,” the Frenchman said. Shifting from the driver analogy to a mathematical one, he added, “Sometimes one plus one doesn’t equal two, but two and a half. Newey is certainly an issue, just as he is an issue for everyone.” 

With these aforementioned disagreements, however, Newey’s shift to Ferrari might not materialize ever. Contrastingly, Aston Martin has gained serious grounds, with Lawrence Stroll also having a private dinner with the technical genius. But Newey himself, like Carlos Sainz, needs more time to make a final decision.

Adrian Newey needs “a break” before committing to his future F1 team

For 19 years, Adrian Newey has worked on Red Bull F1 cars nonstop. The Aston Martin Valkyrie Hypercar was his first break of sorts from the monotonous F1 developments. Though the Briton has withdrawn from all F1 involvement, the RB17 Hypercar, which Red Bull recently unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, is taking up his time.

Sharing his desperate need for a break from the pressure-filled F1 world, Newey told the Times, “It wasn’t a big surprise when other teams showed an interest after I announced I was leaving, but I won’t make a quick decision about my future. I need a break to work out if I want to have another go in F1”, despite an Aston Martin deadline on the horizon.

In 2023, Newey revealed how he rued the missed opportunities of working with Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. Both these drivers reciprocated the feelings for the ‘F1 Legend’. But fate’s a tricky thing to maneuver. Now, Newey is split between the two choices and only Alonso might find his dream coming true, unless Ferrari changes their mind and gives into the Briton’s expensive yet priceless demands.

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