David Coulthard baffled by Ferrari’s ongoing struggles and Adrian Newey miss regardless of huge assets
David Coulthard has expressed deep confusion over Ferrari’s incapability to constantly problem for System 1 race victories, regardless of having what he described as immense potential and international backing. The previous Pink Bull, McLaren, and Williams driver believes the long-lasting group must be a dominant drive however continues to underperform—notably in mild of lacking the chance to signal legendary F1 designer Adrian Newey.
Ferrari, regardless of being the game’s most storied identify, has not lifted a title because the 2008 Constructors’ Championship. The Scuderia’s final Drivers’ Championship dates even additional again, to Kimi Räikkönen’s triumph in 2007. Though the group confirmed promise within the 2024 season—pushing McLaren to a title showdown in Abu Dhabi—hopes that Lewis Hamilton’s arrival in 2025 would elevate Ferrari to championship competition have to this point fallen flat.
As an alternative, McLaren has surged forward. After 9 rounds of the 2025 marketing campaign, they maintain a commanding 197-point lead within the Constructors’ Championship over Ferrari, highlighting a major efficiency hole.
David Coulthard, a 13-time Grand Prix winner, admitted he couldn’t perceive how a group with Ferrari’s stature and assets was nonetheless unable to attain constant success. He famous that the model’s international affect, fan help, and funding ought to logically translate into frequent victories, but the group continues to fall wanting expectations.
The missed alternative to signal Adrian Newey solely provides to the thriller. Extensively thought to be essentially the most profitable technical thoughts in System 1 historical past, Adrian Newey was linked with the Maranello group following his exit from Pink Bull. As an alternative, he opted to hitch Aston Martin, taking up the position of managing technical companion beginning in March 2025.
Adrian Newey’s determination to hitch Aston Martin shocked many, together with David Coulthard, who questioned how the Silverstone-based group managed to safe the providers of a determine who has been instrumental in securing 26 world championships throughout a number of groups. The previous System 1 driver identified that the Maranello group had each the monetary muscle and the attract to steer Adrian Newey however in some way failed to shut the deal.
David Coulthard dismissed funds because the decisive issue, noting that Ferrari had already demonstrated their potential to fund blockbuster offers by luring Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes with a long-term contract reportedly value over $400 million. Drawing from private expertise, the previous McLaren and Pink Bull driver recalled the trouble it took to persuade the late Pink Bull proprietor Dietrich Mateschitz to spend money on Adrian Newey’s providers 20 years in the past. On the time, Mateschitz was hesitant because of the price, prompting David Coulthard to argue that investing in a high designer might be much more essential than signing a number one driver. He defined {that a} sensible automotive might enable even common drivers to win races, whereas a mediocre automotive—whatever the driver’s expertise—would battle to attain constant outcomes.
In the end, Mateschitz was persuaded and introduced Newey on board, a call that might show pivotal in shaping Pink Bull’s future success.
Adrian Newey, in an interview with Sky Sports activities Information, later revealed why he selected Aston Martin over Ferrari. He confirmed that the Scuderia had been a powerful consideration however cited a number of compelling causes for choosing Aston Martin. Chief amongst them was the chance to work carefully with group proprietor Lawrence Stroll, whose supply included not only a management position but in addition a shareholding within the group. Adrian Newey was drawn to Stroll’s hands-on possession fashion, which reminded him of previous F1 group bosses like Frank Williams, Ron Dennis, and Eddie Jordan—figures who had been deeply concerned of their groups’ every day operations.
The legendary automotive designer additionally admitted he had lengthy harbored ambitions to work with each Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, however with the 2 champions racing for various groups, he had to decide on. In the end, Aston Martin’s imaginative and prescient for the 2026 rules, mixed with their new works partnership with Honda, satisfied him to hitch their undertaking and play a number one position in shaping their future competitiveness.
His first public look as an Aston Martin figurehead got here on the Monaco Grand Prix, and Adrian Newey is anticipated to attend a number of extra race weekends all through the 2025 season as he integrates into his new position.
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