Ferrari’s legal victory has resulted in a delay for Enrico Cardile, the former technical director, to take up his role at Aston Martin until July this year. The court case, initiated by Ferrari, was aimed at preventing Cardile from joining the rival team for an additional four months.
Aston Martin had previously announced Cardile’s appointment as its chief technical officer in 2025, following his departure from Ferrari’s technical director’s post in the chassis area in July 2024. However, the specifics of his start date at Aston Martin remained vague, with team principal Andy Cowell sidestepping questions regarding this issue during pre-season testing.
In a recent development, Ferrari has affirmed its legal victory, which bars Cardile from linking up with his new team for the time being. According to a statement released by Ferrari, the Court of Modena, a few weeks ago, ruled in their favor, ordering Cardile to cease all forms of association with the Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team until July 18th of this year.
The court’s decision came in light of Cardile’s alleged violation of a non-compete agreement with Ferrari. The purpose of this agreement was evidently to protect Ferrari from potential competitive disadvantage, by deterring other F1 teams from hiring Cardile earlier than permissible, which could cause significant damage to Ferrari.
Responding to the development, a representative from Aston Martin said that the issue was exclusively between Cardile and Ferrari and their respective legal teams in Italy. They also added that they would refrain from making any further statements on the matter and would announce any updates when deemed necessary.
Aston Martin had previously lauded Cardile’s appointment as a pivotal move for the team, especially in light of the new 2026 regulations. However, the delay in his arrival could impede his influence on the development of the new car, considering that the teams could have commenced full-scale work on the 2026 regulations as early as January.
Despite the setback, if Aston Martin still wishes to expedite Cardile’s start date, it will have to negotiate a new agreement with Ferrari – a task they have been unsuccessful in achieving so far. On a brighter note, the team has welcomed another technical stalwart this week. Adrian Newey, formerly with Red Bull, started his tenure with Aston Martin on Monday.