Enrico Cardile should have joined Aston Martin as technical director in January, but unforeseen events have arisen that have prevented the Silverstone team from bringing him on board, as Ferrari has not allowed him to leave due to his non-competition agreement.
In recent months, Aston Martin has regenerated its structure with major signings such as Bob Bell and Andy Cowell. Cardile’s figure occupied a fundamental role in this restructuring process, so his absence could destabilize the technical planning of the team.
Ferrari does not give in and Aston Martin suffers the consequences
Enrico Cardile’s delay is due to so-called “gardening leave”, one of the usual clauses in F1 to prevent a high-level engineer from going to a rival team immediately. In many cases some kind of negotiation is reached, but on this occasion Ferrari has not been willing to soften its position, which means that Cardile will not be able to work until July.
This complicates the situation for Aston Martin, who had planned for Cardile to replace Dan Fallows after the latter’s departure at the end of the 2024 season, with the arrival of the new regulations. At the same time, Bob Bell and Eric Blandin have been verbally informed that they will be in charge of the provisional technical management themselves, something that had not been considered from the outset.
The delay could have consequences for the AMR25, the 2025 car. Cardile, out of action for several months, could have no effect on the car, as Aston Martin will start work on the AMR26 under the new 2026 regulations.
Andy Cowell and the Aston Martin structure
Andy Cowell, CEO of Aston Martin Performance Technologies, has been cautious about the arrival of Cardile, he has not commented on whether there were negotiations with Ferrari, but he has made it clear that when the Italian joins, he will be a key element in the team’s place within the technical management concept.
“The team will be headed by Enrico [Cardile], who will oversee the architecture, design and construction of new racing cars,” Cowell confirmed. In this way, it is understood that the technical structure of Aston Martin is clear with Cardile in charge of development, while Newey will have a much freer role to develop creatively in the design of the 2026 car.
For Cowell, the criteria for failure or for success requires a good distribution of responsibilities. “If you have an engineer thinking about today and the next 12 months, it’s always today that you focus on. That’s why it’s essential that each person has a clear focus in their area”.
The Aston Martin AMR26: Newey’s priority
While Cardile waits for his opportunity, Newey will take up his post on March 3rd, to take charge of the development of the Aston Martin AMR26. But the group of engineers at Silverstone has been working on the car for months, in view of the fact that they have to adapt quickly to the new regulations as soon as possible.
“A large group of people are already working on the 2026 car. As we add people, we become stronger and increase capacity,” said Cowell, highlighting the importance of accumulated experience.
Aston Martin is in a transitional phase that could tip the balance towards its future in F1. With the arrival of Newey and the possible arrival of Cardile, the technical project that the team is pursuing is being revived. But Aston Martin will not get ahead without one of its fundamental pieces, at least until Ferrari yields in its position.