Two teams in tug-of-war for Adrian Newey but Lewis Hamilton link-up ruled out

Adrian Newey and Lewis Hamilton will not form a dream team at Ferrari next year, according to the latest claims.

The battle to acquire the genius of Newey continues to rage inside the F1 paddock but Ferrari are “out of the race”, F1.com reports.

Ferrari were the original hot favourites to land the services of Newey, the outgoing Red Bull chief technology officer.

It would have resulted in a link-up with Hamilton, who Newey has previously admitted his regret at never having worked with.

But although Hamilton will wear red in 2025, “it seems that Newey isn’t heading to Italy”, the report states.

Two team tug-of-war

Aston Martin and Alpine are named as the two F1 teams battling over Newey.

McLaren had previously ruled themselves out while Mercedes were never significantly in the mix.

“Aston Martin are believed to be leading the chase,” F1.com reported from this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

Team owner Lawrence Stroll shot down a cheeky question from Sky Sports’ Martin Brundle last weekend at Zandvoort about signing Newey.

But Stroll has brought in former Mercedes man Andy Cowell as CEO, and ex-Ferrari chief Enrico Cardile as chief technical officer.

In addition to Aston Martin’s new Silverstone HQ and their Honda partnership from 2026, the allure of the team is clear.

But Aston Martin face competition from another big character within F1.

Flavio Briatore, newly the executive advisor to Alpine, is “keen” to bring Newey to Enstone, F1.com reports.

“Everything is possible,” Briatore previously said about the dream signing of F1’s best-ever car designer.

Newey’s availability next year gives him time to influence the 2026 car for his new employer, giving them a key edge in the development war.