Adrian Newey to Ferrari? Is it possible?
Discussion
Forester1965 said:
Sandpit Steve said:
Yes, that’s my thinking.
It could only be a civil commercial dispute between RBR Ltd an AN Ltd, for which the only sanction is financial. So if Ferrari want to employ Newey, RB can’t stop it.
RB would seek to injunct Newey preventing him from breaching the restriction.It could only be a civil commercial dispute between RBR Ltd an AN Ltd, for which the only sanction is financial. So if Ferrari want to employ Newey, RB can’t stop it.
vaud said:
Quite... when it is taking RB from mid field to multiple WDCs the cries are that they are too fast and too sucessful, but when applied to Hamilton and Ferrari it's a crowning glory.
Correct it is, Ferrari aren't Red Bull and Lewis isn't Vettel or Max, Ferrari are "the" F1 team, Lewis is the greatest driver of his generation and Newey the best designer, I'm glad you agree with it being a crowning glory due to those elements. Sandpit Steve said:
Forester1965 said:
Sandpit Steve said:
Yes, that’s my thinking.
It could only be a civil commercial dispute between RBR Ltd an AN Ltd, for which the only sanction is financial. So if Ferrari want to employ Newey, RB can’t stop it.
RB would seek to injunct Newey preventing him from breaching the restriction.It could only be a civil commercial dispute between RBR Ltd an AN Ltd, for which the only sanction is financial. So if Ferrari want to employ Newey, RB can’t stop it.
Such a basic point as being able to extract oneself from a contract by winding the business up, in this context, is unfathomable. There'd be no point in having a contract with him (Newey) at all.
Sandpit Steve said:
But RB don’t have a contract with Newey, only with a company called “AN Ltd”. If that company is wound up, or if Newey decides to fight on the basis of personal reputation following the Horny allegations, then Red Bull settles out of court for whatever number they can all agree.
Adrian Newey has ownership of 2 companies in the UK; Racing Services Limited and Emerson Pub Co Ltd.As for the contract, it can say what it likes and bind the people involved.
You don't seriously think Red Bull's lawyers allowed a scenario where Newey can fold his Ltd company and say "Natch! Can't hold me personally to anything!", do you?
Muzzer79 said:
Sandpit Steve said:
Forester1965 said:
Sandpit Steve said:
Yes, that’s my thinking.
It could only be a civil commercial dispute between RBR Ltd an AN Ltd, for which the only sanction is financial. So if Ferrari want to employ Newey, RB can’t stop it.
RB would seek to injunct Newey preventing him from breaching the restriction.It could only be a civil commercial dispute between RBR Ltd an AN Ltd, for which the only sanction is financial. So if Ferrari want to employ Newey, RB can’t stop it.
Such a basic point as being able to extract oneself from a contract by winding the business up, in this context, is unfathomable. There'd be no point in having a contract with him (Newey) at all.
Wasn't there some fuss over this exact issue during the cost cap breach investigations, as to whether he was an employee or indirect contractor and his salary should or shouldn't be counted in the cost cap?
BrettMRC said:
The cards and the power would, and do sit with AN - RBs contract lawyers would be focusing on protecting RBs IP and doing whatever it took to get AN on board, not the other way around.
If the contract with RBR features a suitably drafted restrictive covenant, the power lies with them. RBR will need to waive it, Newey/future employer pay out of it or challenge in court.SmoothCriminal said:
Why would he want to go to Aston.
He has already built wdc winning cars from nothing.
Like it or not Ferrari is pretty much the epitome of F1.
For him to go there and design a winning car would be legendary.
Aston are not a serious outfit anyway, when stroll has his clown son as a driver.
Why?He has already built wdc winning cars from nothing.
Like it or not Ferrari is pretty much the epitome of F1.
For him to go there and design a winning car would be legendary.
Aston are not a serious outfit anyway, when stroll has his clown son as a driver.
Adrian really cares about having a good engine, he suffered a lot when chained to the useless Renault lump. And from 2026 the engine will become more critical.
There are six engine manufacturers in '26 - Ford, Ferrari, Mercedes, Honda, Audi and Renault.
Rule out Ford as that's who he's leaving
Rule out Audi as they're new to F1 so likely to underperform
Rule out Renault as they're chronically useless
Rule out Mercedes as they've long been Newey's "enemy" on track, and he doesn't want to go to them
So it's either Ferrari or Honda engines to ensure his chassis genius designs have the power to win.
Yes Ferrari is the more likely option but it means living in Italy and if things work out badly there's the risk of it getting political, which he hates.
So the reason to go to Aston would be to have a competitive engine and team while remaining resident in the UK.
As far as Lance Stroll goes, Red Bull and Adrian Newey didn't need Perez's help to win everything last year, so the second driver really isn't that important once you have a competitive Honda engine, a world-beating Newey car, and a truly top class number one driver like Max... or Fernando.
I agree with you that Ferrari would be most likely, but there are still factors which make Aston a real possibility.
thegreenhell said:
Muzzer79 said:
Sandpit Steve said:
Forester1965 said:
Sandpit Steve said:
Yes, that’s my thinking.
It could only be a civil commercial dispute between RBR Ltd an AN Ltd, for which the only sanction is financial. So if Ferrari want to employ Newey, RB can’t stop it.
RB would seek to injunct Newey preventing him from breaching the restriction.It could only be a civil commercial dispute between RBR Ltd an AN Ltd, for which the only sanction is financial. So if Ferrari want to employ Newey, RB can’t stop it.
Such a basic point as being able to extract oneself from a contract by winding the business up, in this context, is unfathomable. There'd be no point in having a contract with him (Newey) at all.
The contract would stipulate that AN Ltd would utilise the services of Adrian Newey for design work and Adrian Newey alone (or words to that effect)
vaud said:
I wonder if Aston is actually more appealing for him... UK HQ, lot of investment, new wind tunnel, etc.
No Italian politics.
The Lance & Larry ShowNo Italian politics.
Bottas & Perez have been criticised in the recent past; Checo gets stick for being a pay driver but he's not your stereotypical pay driver making up the numbers. Lance is just not good enough of to be a number 2 of any use in a WDC fight between another team. As it is Alonso is making Lance look like an amateur and a liability in tight battle for best-of-the-rest with Merc, Ferrari and McLaren. Replicate it at WDC level and Lance will be even more of a liabiltiy.
I won't be surprised if AN said to Larry: "It's me or Lance".
In a WDC fight
The details of how Williams lost Newey - I wonder whether there have been any breaches in his contract with RB that would allow a quick exit.
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/the-1990s-mista...
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/the-1990s-mista...
Sim75 said:
Adrian W said:
It would have to have something very specific in it for that to work,
Could it be based on reputational damage / and or morality?Either way, not the sort of thing RB would want dragged through the courts...
AN’s lawyer(s) will claim he’s not leaving per se, rather that in effect he’s being forced to leave, because of a toxic work culture and a crumbling management structure.
In other words, force majeure – and you can bet your testicles his contractor’s agreement has a cast-vibranium caveat for that scenario.
Gardening leave? Phhttt!
Leithen said:
The details of how Williams lost Newey - I wonder whether there have been any breaches in his contract with RB that would allow a quick exit.
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/the-1990s-mista...
So much is made from Williams losing Newey. He would have left Williams and gone to RBR anyway after becoming disillusioned by internal politics and BMW trying to muscling in.https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/the-1990s-mista...
Gassing Station | Formula 1 | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff