Adrian Newey’s F1 future has reportedly been sealed. Unfortunately, former favorite Ferrari isn’t the one closing this deal, but Aston Martin. This decision was especially conflicting for the ex-Red Bull CTO because working with Lewis Hamilton & Fernando Alonso was one of his F1 dreams. Because both drivers are at retirement age, he could only choose one for 2025 and beyond before the end of their final stints. But will losing F1’s best car designer to AMR hamper Hamilton’s pursuit of the record-breaking 8th title? Ferrari chairman John Elkann’s bold claim should tell you everything.

Elkann was the pivotal figure in luring the 7-time champion away from Mercedes. He turned every stone in doing so. On top of a $100 million salary, the Italian industrialist promised to invest $400 million in Hamilton’s projects and charitable foundations. Similarly, in Newey’s case, money was never the issue. It was the location. The Briton favored a British team to work for rather than uproot his life and move to Italy for Ferrari. This didn’t fit well with the men in Scarlet Red and Aston Martin inherited the lead in the race to sign him.

Lawrence Stroll, the billionaire owner of the Silverstone outfit, pulled all the stops to finalize Newey’s signing, including vacating their headquarters to facilitate a private tour for him. As per Autosprint, such dedicated pursuit has reaped the fruit, and the ex-Red Bull CTO will join them with a $100 million deal. Amid this mammoth development, John Elkann has reiterated how motivated Ferrari is with Hamilton joining them next year.

“Hamilton and Ferrari have found each other,” he clearly told Gazzetta. “He comes to us to win, and with him, we become stronger in anticipating the challenges of the future. We are talking about a great athlete who is very motivated to become world champion for the eighth time, as the last races have shown,” he added, referring to Hamilton breaking his 945-day winless streak to win at Silverstone and Spa, while continuing, “He certainly does not come to Ferrari to enjoy his retirement. He wants to play it.”

Are Elkann’s expectations from Hamilton and Ferrari higher than they should be? The performance graph of the Frederic Vasseur-led team has only taken a dive in 2024. Carlos Sainz might’ve been axed, but this is not the Ferrari he signed up for in the first place. This does bring up some skepticism about the 7-time champion’s decision.

Is Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari destined to be a heartbreak?

Lewis Hamilton has been on the money throughout his 17-year F1 career. With him, you always know what to expect, and it’s nothing short of the best. Yes, Max Verstappen and Red Bull pushed him into a corner of solitude, but he came back as strong as ever. At 39, the Mercedes driver notched his 104th F1 victory on home soil, but this only seems like a new beginning to something bigger. But here’s where his exit from the Silver Arrows turns paradoxical.

The Toto Wolff-led team is back in the fight for wins after 2 long years of mediocrity. Contrastingly, Ferrari is still in the volatile state they’ve been since 2008, the year they won their last constructors’ championship. Furthermore, the Scuderia “has lost an important man in chassis boss (Enrico) Cardile,” as Red Bull’s Helmut Marko phrased it. Mercedes, however, found a gem in James Allison, who turned around the W15’s performance rather quickly. Losing the race to sign Adrian Newey will impact Vasseur & Co. as well.

As it stands, Mercedes is still 79 points adrift of Ferrari in the constructors’ championship. But with the simultaneous changes in their performance before the summer break, the Silver Arrows’ threat has intensified. 2025 will definitely witness one of F1’s closest championship battles ever. All eyes will be on Ferrari as Hamilton will wear the red overalls for the first time in his career.

Can the Maranello outfit mend their ways before the competition becomes too hot to handle? What do you think? Share in the comments.