Ferrari is "ready to break the bank to lure Adrian Newey, the greatest designer in Formula One history, to Italy," according to Kevin Eason of the LONDON TIMES. After another weak showing for the team at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo "wants Newey to design a car that will put the Scuderia back on top, no matter what the cost." Newey is already thought to be paid upwards of £7M ($11.8M) a year by Red Bull, "making him the highest-paid designer in F1." Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner "has discovered he could be in a tug-of-war to hold on to the man who has produced the cars that have won the past four world championships." Horner said, "It is an annual thing that there is speculation about Adrian’s future, but he has made his feelings clear to me about the team." The "sheer scale of Mercedes supremacy this season, with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg winning all five grands prix this season and registering four one-two finishes, is having repercussions up and down the pitlane." Stefano Domenicali "has already fallen on his sword at Ferrari, to be replaced as team principal by Marco Mattiacci, who is under pressure from the start." Di Montezemolo traveled to Spain "to make his displeasure clear as Fernando Alonso and Kimi Räikkönen finished a distant sixth and seventh, respectively." Di Montezemolo said, "I did not expect a team so much less competitive than my expectations at the beginning of the season. I have to understand where the problems are, why we are not competitive, and to improve the situation as soon as possible without losing calm" (LONDON TIMES, 5/13).
