Aston Martin results In recent races – with the exception of Canada – they have worsened a situation that was already worrying at the start of the season. The car just doesn’t work, The improvements, far from contributing, seem like a step backwards. and Fernando Alonso is desperate. A bad moment that does not seem to improve in the British GP and that Lawrence Stroll wants to put an end to in one fell swoop. And for that has decided to pull out his chequebook and form the top team of engineers in F-1.
The goal is to form the best technical team in the Grand Circus to finally achieve a car that lives up to its aspirations. And to do so, Following rumours of Mattia Binotto’s arrival, One signing has already been confirmed. It is Andy Cowellwhose signing has already been confirmed by the team. Former Mercedes engine boss to become CEO of Silverstone outfit. A guaranteed addition, as he is the designer of the Mercedes hybrid engine, one of the best power units of all time, and could be key to the development of the Honda engine that Aston Martin will have in 2026.
The man who was head of Mercedes engines for 16 years, He stepped down from his role in 2020 and had not committed to any team or engine manufacturer since then. He will now replace Martin Whitmarsh.
But there is still more and The next signing that could be announced soon is that of Enrico Cardile. According to the Italian press, Ferrari’s technical director has accepted the offer to join the Silverstone-based team. The Tuscan engineer began collaborating with Ferrari since his degree thesis (Aerospace), back in 2002, to be hired in 2005 by the Italian company. His career at Ferrari began in Gran Turismo, with the design of cars such as the 458 Italia GT2 and GT3 and the 488 GTE and GT3. In 2016 he moved to Gestion Sportiva, now SF, as Head of Aero Development, while the following year he took on the role of Vehicle Project Manager.
A key “theft”
Over time, Enrico Cardile gained more and more power and esteem within the former GES and when Mattia Binotto became Team Principal, in addition to looking after the chassis department, he also became technical director in pectore, then effectively taking on the role of Chassis and Aerodynamics Technical Director with the arrival of Frédéric Vasseur early last year.
Frédéric Vasseur has managed to pull off a major coup with the signing of Mercedes engineer Loic Serra. According to Formu1a.uno, He will be the one to take over, from October, most of the functions currently held by Enrico Cardile.
Newey, the final flourish
And the final straw would be Andrian Newey. According to The Times, Talks between Lawrence Stroll and Adrian Newey were well advanced but had been put on hold following the star engineer’s salary demands. The British newspaper The Telegraph reported a few days ago that Newey had made his salary demands clear and forceful. Initially, the designer requested an annual salary of 50 million pounds sterling (approximately 59 million euros). This figure, considered exorbitant, would have made him the highest paid employee in Formula 1. However, Newey – according to the aforementioned newspaper – has shown flexibility by reducing his request by half, leaving it at 25 million pounds sterling (about 29 million euros). Even so, this figure would exceed the salaries of the team’s two drivers, including Fernando Alonso, who is estimated to earn around 18 million euros annually.
Lawrence Stroll considered the figure “unacceptable” but seems to have turned the situation around and He is willing to pull out his chequebook to turn the team’s critical situation around. According to Motorsport Italiathe deal could be virtually closed after a new multi-million dollar offer from Stroll. Newey would arrive at Silverstone as a technical advisor to the team, responsible not for designing the car but for giving it a touch of quality and advising on improvements.
For the moment, Newey has postponed announcing his future until after the summer. “At the moment, I’m still working on the RB17 and then I’ll just take some time off. I’ll have to make a decision in the autumn,” he revealed in statements to Sky Sports.
If the incorporation into its ranks is finally made official, Alonso’s team would have the most powerful team of engineers in F-1.