1992 F1 world champion Nigel Mansell believes Ferrari showed a “short term vision” in its quest to hire Adrian Newey.
Newey has been named Aston Martin F1’s new technical partner. He will oversee the technical team from March 2025, as Lawrence Stroll looks to lead the Silverstone team to glory in the near future.
When Newey’s departure from Red Bull was announced in Miami, Ferrari was considered the favorite to sign him.
However, Ferrari was unwilling to match the offer made by Aston Martin, refusing to get involved in a bidding war.
Mansell, who drove for Ferrari in 1989 and 1990, believes it was a missed opportunity for the Italian team.
“As soon as I heard that Ferrari was reluctant to accept the wage bill that Adrian wanted, I think they showed short-sightedness.”
“Ferrari, I love them. I love them. I really think so, but they’ve lost an opportunity because whoever signs Adrian Newey is almost guaranteed to have a fantastic few years. And I think Aston Martin has done something very special by securing his services.”
“And I mean, I will be fascinated to see with all the sports fans around the world how quickly this manifests.”
Mansell is adamant that Newey’s move to Aston Martin will give him “a little more energy”predicting that he could “do something very special” when he joins the team next year.
“I think people have also underestimated the fact that Adrian hasn’t been totally happy over the last few years with Red Bull and the fantastic job he’s done. Now that he knows he’ll stay in the UK. United, at Aston Martin, Adrian will find a little more energy and a little more desire to work in F1.”
“And it’s scary for everyone to hear those words because he’s doing a fantastic job.”
“And if he feels comfortable, which is certainly the case with Aston Martin, he could do something very special.”
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