Adrian Newey's substantial demands resulted in the breakdown of his discussions with Ferrari, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The Italian publication detailed that the soon-to-be former Red Bull technical virtuoso didn't just seek a $10 million annual salary, but also insisted on Ferrari employing about 20 engineers of his choosing.
This situation has left Aston Martin as the prime contender to land Newey, with an offer reportedly worth $100 million over four years still in play.
McLaren remains in contention for Newey's expertise as well.
"I worked with Adrian for a long time," Aston Martin technical director Dan Fallows commented in Hungary on Friday. "He's a great asset to any team. Who knows where he's going to end up."
Yet, it's clear that Newey won't be joining Mercedes. "No," confirmed Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff to Osterreich newspaper prior to the Hungarian Grand Prix.
"We are sticking together as a team - in good times and in bad," he continued. "I know what I have in James Allison and his management team."
While Wolff has left a race seat vacant for 2025, potentially for Red Bull's Max Verstappen, he acknowledges that it's unlikely Verstappen will switch teams soon.
Dr. Helmut Marko, Red Bull's advisor, sees Wolff's pursuit of Verstappen as "completely normal."
"Max is a guarantee of success," Marko told Sport1. "He's the only driver who makes a difference. He would have won races in a Ferrari, a Mercedes or a McLaren this season. If we didn't already have him under contract, we would try to get him too."
