Recent reports have suggested that the Technical Director of Ferrari, Enrico Cardile, might move to Aston Martin by the end of this season.
Enrico Cardile is a Tuscan engineer who finished his degree in aerospace. His career started with the Ferrari Gran Turismo in 2005, but he joined Formula 1 in 2016 as the head of aero development and soon moved on to the position of vehicle project manager in the following year.
He was an integral figure in the reawakening of Ferrari after the shift to hybrid cars and marked the return to victories in 2017 and 2018. He eventually became the technical director of the Italian team in everything but the title and assumed the role of Chassis and Aerodynamics Technical Director with Frederic Vasseur’s arrival as the team principal in 2023.
Enrico Cardile: Changing colours from Red to Green
Among the recent rumours of whether Ferrari or Aston Martin will get Adrian Newey on board, Aston has made a bold move and reportedly hired Enrico Cardile from Scuderia. Moreover, Italy’s Formu1a.uno has reported that the Silverstone-based green team may have caused Cardile to change his mind and make the move to England. Here’s the statement:
“After some persuasive phone calls and negotiations, the Italian engineer will join Aston Martin.”
If Cardile joins the British team as their Technical Director, he will work on the 2026 Aston Martin cars with the Honda Engine, making it a combination for the team’s success.
This will be a blow to Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur, who appointed Cardile to a position among the top staff at Maranello after he arrived in 2023.
Who will be the new Ferrari Technical Director?
Ferrari has not been quiet recently with its attempts at recruiting the top technical geniuses across the paddock. They attempted to hire Pierre Wache, the Red Bull Technical Director; however, Red Bull tied the French engineer down with a new contract.
BREAKING 🚨| Enrico Cardile, technical director, will leave Ferrari for Aston Martin.
— Ferrari News 🐎 (@FanaticsFerrari) June 24, 2024
Loic Serra will take over Cardile’s functions, with full power for 2025-2026. Serra will start work from 1st October.
Cardile’s departure is not linked to the rumours about Adrian Newey.
As far as Cardile’s replacement is concerned, it would most likely be Loic Serra from Mercedes, who will start work in October of this year. Serra’s recruitment is seen as a potential game-changer. His expertise could play a pivotal role in shaping Ferrari’s future performance.
Ferrari confirmed last month that Serra will oversee trackside engineering, aero-development and operations, and vehicle performance. This comprehensive role suggests that Serra will have a significant influence on the 2026 hybrid engines, according to the new regulations.
However, Ferrari might get the winning edge against Aston Martin if they can sign Adrian Newey as their Chief Technical Director to oversee the design of their 2026 cars. To Ferrari’s benefit, Newey is heavily linked with the team, especially after the announcement of 7-time world champion Lewis Hamilton joining the Scuderia 2025 onwards.
Rohit Kumar