Ferrari’s ‘burning’ regret from the Adrian Newey deal that never happened

Newey’s influence won’t be felt until 2026, given he only started work in March this year. But Ferrari’s frustration is already building.

Ferrari still licking their ‘wound’ after Adrian Newey turned them down in 2024

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Loic Serra has so far been regarded as a disappointment. Chassis technical director Serra joined the team from Mercedes, where he worked with Hamilton, last autumn.

Ferrari won five races and scored a grid-high 22 podiums last year, finishing just 14 points behind McLaren in the battle for the constructors’. In 2025, they haven’t come close to winning a race, and they’re already almost 200 points adrift of the reigning champions.

Hamilton is already urging Ferrari to prioritise 2026 and give up any lingering hopes of a resurgence this year. They could make gains by shifting resources early, but equally, persisting with the SF-25 for too long could have lasting repercussions.

The report notes that the ‘wound’ of Newey’s rejection ‘still seems to be burning’ for Ferrari. They would be far more optimistic about next year if he was on board.

Newey seemed ‘very close’ to joining the Italian marquee but walked away from the negotiations when Aston Martin made a more favourable offer. Ferrari will still be wondering how exactly they let one of the highest-rated engineers in the sport slip through their fingers.

Fernando Alonso has just told Ferrari exactly what they’re missing

Newey has ‘thrown himself’ into studying the 2026 regulations at Aston Martin. With no short-term obligations, he has the unique luxury of time to find one of his famous loopholes.

Reports suggest that Newey has already carried out a ‘brutal’ reset at his new team. It’s unclear whether he would have been granted so much power at Maranello.

Indeed, Bernie Collins has questioned Ferrari’s decision-making style, suggesting that team members are always concerned about the views of their superiors. The internal politics at the Scuderia are infamous.

Fernando Alonso says Newey has already raised standards at Aston Martin by forcing colleagues to make more valuable contributions in team meetings. Perhaps that’s exactly the kind of cultural shift that’s needed at Ferrari.