Aston Martin is rumoured to be rivalling Ferrari for the services of legendary designer Adrian Newey, but another key member of the Scuderia’s design team is set to join the Lawrence Stroll’s outfit.
Ferrari has rebounded from its 2023 problems to produce a car that is easier to drive and more compliant, providing race wins for Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
Key to that success has been in the technical department at Maranello, where designers reworked crucial elements such as the rear suspension and aerodynamic platform.
Ferrari’s technical director Enrico Cardile led the effort in both the chassis and aerodynamics departments, and his success has drawn the attention of rivals Aston Martin according to a report by Formu1a.Uno.
Lawrence Stroll eyes Ferrari’s technical chief
Aston Martin has yet to score a podium in 2024 having had a successful year with Fernando Alonso, who achieved seven by the end of the year – the most of any non-Red Bull driver.
Irked by their underwhelming performance and car updates, which technical director Tom McCullough has admitted have taken away performance, team owner Stroll was in contact with the senior Ferrari personnel over a move.
According to the report, Cardile has accepted a role within Aston Martin after several important phone calls with the Canadian billionaire. He will join the growing amount of backroom talent for the team, which includes veteran F1 technical chief Bob Bell.
It might come as a blow to Ferrari but the team has managed to secure the services of former Mercedes engineer Loic Serra, who is poised to join the team in October along with former Toto Wolff right-hand Jerome D’Ambrosio.
Why would Enrico Cardile leave Ferrari?
As Ferrari starts to sort out their problems and await the arrival of seven-time World Champion Hamilton, why would any engineer leave what is most likely to lead to success on paper?
Formula 1 has always had a migratory workforce where people move around in between teams. The paddock is a tight-knit community and your end-product is subject to scrutiny nearly every fortnight by rivals and fans.
This is why some teams tend to keep it secret over who came up with what ideas to find performance, as they are scared they could get poached by another team.
Another factor that plays into it is the F1 budget cap. In the past teams overcame various barriers, such as relocation, by offering premium salaries but that is not possible anymore. Teams are restricted by numbers and this affects the salaries, so now people are trying to find the most cost-effective engineers they can attract. This is why there are higher movements of staff.
The new rules coming into play in 2026 also provide a clean slate for teams, making it very attractive to move between teams in the future. Aston Martin has ambitions to fight for titles, and with such a marquee name and solid backing, it’s not hard to see why people could be lured into Stroll’s project.
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