Cardile signs for Aston Martin after legal dispute with Ferrari: F1 ignites

Enrico Cardile Joins Aston Martin as Technical Director

Aston Martin has officially announced the incorporation of Enrico Cardile as Technical Director of its Formula 1 team. The Italian engineer, coming from Ferrari, joins the team after a waiting period. Cardile, who left his position at Ferrari in mid-2024, had agreed to join Aston Martin. However, both teams maintained a legal dispute over the start date of his contract. The arrival of Cardile is part of Lawrence Stroll’s ambitious strategy, owner of Aston Martin, to turn the team into a championship contender from 2026. This strategy includes the incorporation of key figures such as Adrian Newey and Andy Cowell. At the beginning of this year, Ferrari obtained a court order preventing Cardile from working with Aston Martin until the end of his “gardening leave” period. The court determined that Cardile could not start working before July 18th.

The Italian team stated at the time that the court had found that “our former employee was already violating the non-compete agreement with Ferrari, whose purpose was precisely to prevent other F1 teams from gaining an unjustified competitive advantage by hiring Cardile before allowed, causing irreparable damage to Ferrari”.

Ferrari

The image shows Enrico Cardile, whose “gardening leave” period has ended, officially starting his work at Aston Martin. Aston Martin confirmed that Cardile has already taken on his new role. In a statement, the team expressed: “We are pleased that a solution has been found and that Enrico can move forward with the team towards 2026 and beyond as our Technical Director, leading our design and technical functions at the AMR Technology Campus.” The arrival of Cardile marks a significant milestone for Aston Martin as they look ahead to the new era of F1, which will introduce significant changes to cars and engines, promising to reshape the competitive landscape. Cardile will report to the team principal and Group CEO, Andy Cowell. Previously, Stroll referred to the trio formed by Newey, Cowell and Cardile as a “formidable leadership team”. Aston Martin’s investment includes a new, modern F1 facility at the headquarters in front of the Silverstone circuit entrance, home of the British Grand Prix. The team will also enter the new regulatory cycle with an exclusive supply of Honda engines, after years of using Mercedes power units. Honda will end its partnership with Red Bull at the end of 2025.