Ferrari won their court case against their former technical director, Enrico Cardile, preventing him from starting his new role at Aston Martin until July 18.
In July, Enrico Cardile announced that he would be leaving Scuderia Ferrari after 20 years with the team. Switching the Rossa Corsa for the British Racing Green of the Silverstone-based team. However, the excitement was quickly curtailed over contract disagreements regarding Cardile’s start date.
Ferrari recently announced that Cardile was “already violating the non-compete with Ferrari.” As a result, Ferrari took the technical director to court in Italy.
Aston Martin released a statement regarding the case. They said, “This is a matter between Enrico and Ferrari and their legal representatives in Italy. The parties continue to be engaged in the process. As such, we won’t be making any further comment. We will make an announcement in due course.”
The prancing horses admitted that the non-compete clause was put in place to “prevent other F1 teams from gaining an unjustified competitive advantage by hiring Cardile earlier than allowed, causing irreparable harm to Ferrari”.
Ferrari announced that the courts in Modena had made a decision, ruling in favour of the Maranello team. Delaying Cardile’s start date till July means Aston Martin will be a good way into the 2026 development without their new chief technical officer.
Development delay
For a team looking to hit the ground running in 2026, each moving part is vital. Aston Martin managed to acquire the famed Adrian Newey, giving them a massive advantage for the new regulations. Lawrence Stroll tried to put together a strong team ahead of these regulation changes and Enrico Cardile was a massive part of it.
Formula 1 rules dictated that teams weren’t allowed to begin work on their 2026 cars until January 2.
While it is expected that the front runners will continue to keep their focus on 2025 until later in the year. There is the anticipation for teams further down the grid to prioritise the new regulations.
Aston Martin is stepping away from being a Mercedes engine customer for 2026. Instead, joining forces with Honda, who have played a formative role in Red Bull’s success over the years.
Despite Enrico Cardile’s delay, Aston Martin has taken steps to put them in a prime position for the future. With 250 new employees, Adrian Newey joining the team, and Andy Cowell moving into the position of team principal.
Featured Image Credit: Formula 1
