Ferrari should be “licking their wounds” over the “short-sighted” decision not to sign Formula 1 design guru Adrian Newey, according to 1992 champion Nigel Mansell.
The Italian marque was considered the leading team to obtain Newey’s coveted services when it was announced earlier this term that he would be departing Red Bull.
But despite meetings taking place between the two parties, a move was ruled out and Newey has since signed to become Aston Martin’s Managing Technical Partner.
Mansell, who drove the Newey-designed Williams FW14B to title glory in 1992, insists that his former team has made a mistake in not bringing the Briton to Maranello.
“The fact that he’s gone to Aston Martin is so wise because he won’t get caught up in the politics of Ferrari and the hype that goes with that,” he told Top Offshore Sportsbooks.
“I think Ferrari should be licking their wounds a little bit because they should have got him, but all credit to Aston Martin.
“As soon as I heard that Ferrari was baulking at possibly the wage bill that Adrian wanted, I think that was short-sighted of them.
“They lost an opportunity because whoever gets Adrian Newey is almost assured of having a fantastic few years.”
Ferrari reveals talks with Newey
Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur revealed that discussions were held with Newey, but a disagreement on how he would be incorporated into the team saw talks collapse.
“Newey? There were discussions, yes,” Vasseur told French newspaper L’Equipe. “But probably his ideas were different from what I had in mind for him.
“Maybe one day we will find common ground. But as I said, it is not an individual that changes the outcome of a team. The group is always stronger than the individual.”
Aston Martin insists Newey will be a ‘bargain’
Newey is reported to have agreed a salary in line with a top F1 driver, but Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll is adamant that his latest acquisition will be a “bargain”.
“I can tell you Adrian is a bargain,” Stroll said. “Certainly, I’ve been in business for over 40 years now, and I’ve never been more certain.
“It’s not an investment. He’s a shareholder and a partner. So it’s the best partner I can bring into a company. We intend to be around here a very long time together.
“So it’s relatively inexpensive for everything Adrian brings in a partnership we will have.”
READ MORE: Aston Martin avoiding legal dispute with Adrian Newey F1 talks
