It’s been announced that Adrian Newey will take over as team principal of Aston Martin Formula One team from 2026. It is a move that has stunned the paddock, with current boss, Andy Cowell, moving into a new strategy role. Moreover, the upheaval follows weeks of rumored internal tension and high-profile departures inside the Silverstone outfit.
Auto Motor und Sport reported that “seven key engineers – including aerodynamic chief Eric Blandin – had been on the chopping block.” This was allegedly on the recommendation of Adrian Newey, who is primarily poaching staff from his former team, Red Bull. Cowell had been in the job just over a year, after the firing of Mike Krack.
ADRIAN NEWEY AS TEAM PRINCIPAL
Furthermore, the German title added that relations between Newey and Cowell had become strained. “Rumors circulated in Las Vegas that things were getting heated behind the scenes,” said the report. Names like Christian Horner and Andreas Seidl were being linked to Cowell’s job.
However, it came as something of a shock to hear Adrian Newey being handed the role by Lawrence Stroll. Auto Motor und Sport reports, “the decision surprised the paddock because the 66-year old is known as a quiet, ingenious tinkerer, rather than a classic team boss.”
HONDA POWER UNIT PROJECT
Cowell will stay on as Chief Strategy Officer. He will be coordinating the Honda, Aramco and Valvoline integration for 2026’s all-new power unit (PU). Likewise, speculation has grown that Aston Martin’s 2026 PU project may not be running smoothly. It’s been suggested that the new Honda unit may be ‘carrying a few extra kilograms.’ Though the team has not confirmed as much publicly.
Aston Martin formalised the restructure late on yesterday (Wednesday 27 November 2025). Newey said he is, “looking forward to taking on this additional role.” And Stroll commented that the team structure changes, “will enable the Aston Martin F1 to play to its collective strengths in 2026.” – with GMM
But what do you think? Is Adrian Newey team principal material? Or would Christian Horner or Andreas Seidl been a better option? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below …
