Ferrari have set their sights on a big-name Formula 1 engineer before Lewis Hamilton joins the team next year, according to Auto Motor und Sport. Ferrari confirmed in the winter that they had signed the seven-time world champion for 2025.
The Scuderia finished third in last year’s constructors’ championship but they’ve now firmly established themselves as Red Bull’s closest challengers. Carlos Sainz, who will lose his seat to Hamilton, won the Australian Grand Prix, and they’re the only team to have at least one car on the podium at every race.
After the coup of landing F1’s most successful driver – perhaps the biggest driver transfer in the sport’s history – AMuS say Ferrari are after another of the sport’s A-listers. This time, though, it’s a figure who will carry out his work behind the scenes.
Ferrari haven’t won the teams’ title since 2008, and the drivers’ title since 2007. While Red Bull look set to be largely dominant this season, they will hope to end their drought next year.
Team principal Fred Vasseur will also be trying to assemble the strongest possible team to tackle the 2026 regulation changes. There’s a possibility that the drastic alterations could shake-up the order at the front of the grid.
Ferrari eye Red Bull mastermind to work alongside Lewis Hamilton
AMuS report that Ferrari are pushing to poach Red Bull’s chief designer Adrian Newey. In an interview earlier this year, Newey revealed that he’d rejected three previous approaches from the Italian marquee amid concerns over their ruthless culture, but he acknowledged their unique allure.
Ferrari hope it will be fourth time lucky, and there’s also a possibility that they could destabilise their chief competitors. Reigning world champion Max Verstappen intends to stay, but only if things remain as they are now, and Newey’s departure would be seismic.
Last year, Newey’s RB19 shattered records in the hands of Verstappen and Sergio Perez as they produced the most dominant season in F1 history. The Bulls won 21 of the season’s 22 Grands Prix, and while Ferrari may be able to present a sterner challenge this year, the RB20 still looks like a worthy successor.
But the 65-year-old has achieved success with other teams too. Over the course of a storied F1 career that has also featured stints at Williams and McLaren, he’s been involved in 12 title-winning seasons. Damon Hill, who won the title in one of his cars in 1996, called him a ‘genius’ on the F1 Nation podcast.
Aston Martin also keen on Adrian Newey
Inevitably, given his track record, Ferrari aren’t the only team setting their sights on Newey. AMuS’ report also reiterates that Aston Martin are a suitor, on the back of an earlier report that Lawrence Stroll had ‘upped the ante’ in his pursuit.
Stroll has just tied down his star driver, with Fernando Alonso committing for at least another two years. Perhaps part of the reason the two-time world champion agreed to stay was that he knew that the Canadian was ambitiously targeting elite technical personnel.
Ferrari are much closer to winning championships than Aston Martin at the moment, with three places and 87 points separating the two in the standings. However, the Silverstone outfit will hope to take a big step forward in 2026 when they begin their exclusive partnership with Honda, who currently work with Red Bull.
David Croft has said he ‘would love’ to see Newey form a mighty triumvirate with Hamilton and Ferrari. But Red Bull may do all they can to hold onto a figure who’s arguably just as important as Verstappen to their recent success.
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