ADRIAN NEWEY FERRARI MEETING REVEALED WITH ‘GENUINE POTENTIAL’ FOR SENSATIONAL SWITCH

A “dozen” people who know Adrian Newey believe there is “genuine potential” for the design guru to join Ferrari having already met with a representative in London to discuss a potential future.

After several failed attempts over the decades to sign Newey, Ferrari could get their man next season with reports claiming they’re the favourites should the Briton opt to continue in Formula 1.

A ‘dozen’ people say Newey to Ferrari has ‘genuine potential’

Sometime before April 1st next year, Newey will walk away from Red Bull after 19 seasons with the Milton Keynes squad, and at least 12 championship titles.

It’s the latter that appeals to those courting Newey as he has designed title-winning cars for Williams, McLaren and Red Bull. Legend and genius are two words that have been bandied about a lot since Wednesday’s announcement.

But while Newey, who is in Miami this weekend with Red Bull, has “no plan” for his future right now, Ferrari are reportedly pushing hard to entice him over to Maranello for a dream team with 2025 signing Lewis Hamilton.

Sky Sports’ Craig Slater says talks between the Briton and the Italian stable have already begun.

“Ferrari is the likeliest place,” Slater told Sky Sports. “I’ve spoken to a dozen people who know Adrian pretty well, and people connected to Ferrari, and they all think that there is a genuine potential for that to happen.

“Adrian, as I understand, has not made up his mind what he’s doing yet.

“I do know there was a meeting, I can’t confirm it was with Fred Vasseur, but Adrian did meet a Ferrari representative in London to discuss potentially going there, but we are still in the early stages yet.”

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’30 people’ have ruled out Newey to Aston Martin

However, one team that shouldn’t start clearing a desk for the 65-year-old is Aston Martin, who were rumoured to be putting a big-bucks offer on the table.

“Plenty of people know where he’s not going,” Slater continued. “30 people are ready to tell me it is not Aston Martin, that does not fit with him.”

Asked why Aston Martin wouldn’t fit, Slater replied: “Possibly because of the nature of the dynamic there. I mean, it’s very much Laurence Stroll’s project.

“Maybe it doesn’t have the historical allure either for him at this time in his career.

“I think Ferrari is the obvious place, isn’t it?”

‘Four other teams’ in the mix to sign Newey

Ferrari may be leading the running, so say the reports, but Williams’ James Vowles has revealed he’s had “light conversations” with Newey. After all, he’d be “remiss” to miss such an opportunity.

That’s likely to be the thinking of several teams, Martin Brundle reckons as many as four, but he points they need the finances and resources to capitalise on Newey’s expertise.

“Every team will say they’re not really talking to him because they have to,” said the nine-time F1 podium finishers. “A they might not get him, and B they don’t want to upset the technical staff they’ve already got with like ‘Hey, you’re doing a good job there guys, but there’s someone we really like the look of Adrian Newey’.

“So they’re all going to play that game.

“I think the only teams that can take on Adrian Newey are going to have to have the budget and the resource otherwise there’s no point taking him on if you haven’t got the facilities to use his experience, otherwise just wasting your time and money.

“So I think there are four other teams that will be, to varying degrees and varying amounts of awareness, pushing hard to get Adrian Newey.”

And signing the design legend comes with a “double-edged sword as well”, as Brundle put it, “because if you’ve got Adrian Newey, another team hasn’t which is worth paying him – just to not be with somebody else.”

Slater responded to that: “I mean, in sporting terms, there’s anything top taking the Ferrari back to the championship if that’s what he manages to do.”

2024-05-05T07:19:42Z dg43tfdfdgfd