Newey Exposes Ferrari Attempted To Recruit Him Three Times Already

Thursday, 28 December 2023 at 00:00

Updated at Thursday, 28 December 2023 at 10:27

Chief technical officer Adrian Newey recently revealed Red Bull's rival team, Scuderia Ferrari, tried to recruit him three times in the past.

Adrian Newey is the man behind the super-dominant RB19 car that allowed Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez to win 19 out of 22 races of the 2023 season.

Newey is considered one of the best CTOs (chief technical officers) in Formula One ever. Fernando Alonso recently said he wishes he could one day work with the British engineer, even though it won't probably happen in F1.

Many individuals contributed to Red Bull's success, but it would not have been possible without a 65-year-old. Newey has been with Red Bull ever since 2006.

When asked whether going to Ferrari was ever on his agenda or how many times he has been approached, Newey said on the Formula for Success podcast:

"Well, it’s funny isn’t it because Ferrari is this magic brand that in all honesty everybody in motor racing is always fascinated by and tempted to join if offered the opportunity."

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Sebastian Vettel went from Red Bull to Ferrari, and he famously said: "Everybody is a Ferrari fan, even if they say they are not, they are a Ferrari Fan." Working for the Italian manufacturer is a very tempting opportunity. The CTO continued:

"I’ve been approached and come close three times now, one of those in IndyCars way back. It’s an amazing brand, it has all this mystique about it, it’s effectively the Italian national team with all the pros and cons that come with that."

Carlos Sainz recently said there is no better place to win a Championship than Ferrari. The whole of Italy will celebrate the success of its F1 team. But it is a double-edged sword.

"The cons are that if you don’t do a great job, you are absolutely berated and torn apart, but of course, if you do a good job, you’re a national hero."

Could Ferrari be in Red Bull's position during the 2022 and 2023 position-winning titles if they had Adrian Newey onboard?

While we probably won't ever find out the answer to this question, Newey added he has enjoyed working for his previous and current teams. The 65-year-old added:

"That brings all of its own pressures. I have to try and take the passion side out of it and approach it from an engineering side, and the teams I’ve worked for I’ve hugely enjoyed."