Ferrari has turned to an Italian court to stop its ex-technical director Enrico Cardile from joining Aston Martin prematurely.
Cardile, a 20-year Maranello veteran, departed last July and has been on 'gardening leave.'
His anticipated start this month—aligning with Adrian Newey's March 3 arrival at Silverstone—aimed to kick off Aston Martin's 2026 project. However, Ferrari has upended the rumoured early-release deal.
"At the request of Ferrari, the Modena Tribunal has ordered its former technical director to immediately cease all forms of collaboration with Aston Martin until July 18," La Repubblica newspaper reports.
The court found Cardile and Aston Martin "violated the non-compete commitment," breaching his gardening leave terms.
A legal official told La Repubblica: "The former employee was violating the non-compete commitment undertaken in favour of Ferrari, the purpose of which was precisely to prevent other teams from gaining an unjustified competitive advantage, causing Ferrari irreparable damage."
Earlier Italian coverage noted Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll is "furious" over the setback, disrupting plans for Cardile and Newey to collaborate on the 2026 car.
