Why Newey said no to Montezemolo, Marchionne and Elkann

Not unexpected, the announcement neverthless sent shockwaves of reality across not only Formula 1 but Italy, the land of Ferrari, where many thought Formula 1's greatest designer would end his career.

Instead, 65-year-old Newey has been convinced by Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll to join his dream team. Be part of Britain's version of Ferrari, aka Aston Martin, who are vying to be an alternative to the Italian brand from sportscar dealerships to F1 race tracks.

With Newey added to an impressive squad of heavy hitters now at the team's Silverstone HQ is a massive statement of intent. With it a substantial blow to Ferrari. Many believed, as we did, that Newey's destination would be with the legendary Italian manufacturer.

Much like the GOAT Lewis Hamilton joining the team for his swansong. What a pairing! It seemed natural that Newey would follow his countrymen and a driver he will never work with and highly respects. It was a match made in imaginary heaven for Tifosi.

Newey to Ferrari was not to be. Instead, it's Fernando Alonso who finally gets the honour, in the sunset of his Formula 1 career, to race Newey-created F1 cars at last.

Ferrari might have wanted him, but the dealbreaker was probably the shares and membership of the board that Newey pockets as Aston Martin. One imagines a tough one for Ferrari President John Elkann to make happen.

History has it that Newey turned down offers/approaches from Ferrari big bosses over the years, including Luca di Monetezemolo and a decade later Sergio Marchionne. But like now with Elkann's offer, the lure was not sufficient to catch their man yet again, and for a last time, it would seem.

Why would that be? What went wrong and why Newey won't have an office at Maranello? Those are among many questions being asked in Italy, with Ferrari whisperer and Italy's Formula 1 motorsport poet Leo Turini tucking into the matter in his latest column.

Turrini writes: "So, the die is cast. Now everything is official. Adrian Newey, 25 world titles won in F1 among drivers and constructors, the greatest designer of all time and that's it, marries Aston Martin. Also becoming a shareholder: but this is an aspect that doesn't interest us romantically here.

"In the sense that I exclude that money was the decisive factor. Not at that level. Not with all that, so much!, that Newey has already earned in his career. Stroll Senior covered him in gold, it's his style. But if the Wizard had wanted to treat himself to the Ferrari emotion, his wallet would not have been an insurmountable obstacle.

"And now I come to the point that is close to our hearts. Should Ferrari have taken Adrian? Absolutely yes.
Under any conditions? Absolutely not. I know that Ferrari made Newey an excellent offer. After all, we are talking about a Scuderia that hasn't won a F1 title since 2008 and therefore it is ridiculous, as the trombone players do, to claim that it is not serious to have lost the opportunity to hire the Genius.

Leo continued: "Especially considering Ferrari's limitations on design, development, and correlation between practice and theory. And yet, as I had humbly tried to explain in recent months, to close a deal it takes two.

"Just as it is foolish to assert that in Ferrari everything works very well (and then why has it been lost since 2009?), so it is foolish to declare that Ferrari should have given Newey the keys to Maranello. The truth is that Newey said no to Elkann as he said no to Marchionne and as he had said no to Montezemolo. It's all public, everything has already been told.

"It may be that the man loves Italy for its food and culture but not for its GP cars. It may be that the memory of the trial experience for Senna's death weighs on Newey: an Englishman does not understand certain things, does not tolerate them.

"Finally (and this is the real worrying element) it is evident that Newey considers it more likely to win from 2026 with Stroll senior's money, the Honda engine and Aramco's synthetic petrol than with the Ferrari prospect (Elkann, Vasseur, Shell).

"This should scare those who love the Prancing Horse. Bearing in mind that in his life Adrian has also known periods of defeat, even prolonged ones.

"Who is right? Who will win the bet? Who will be the 2026 F1 world champion?" concludes Turrini's column entitled: Why Newey said no to Ferrari.