The news of Adrian Newey’s deal with Aston Martin confirms of one of the worst-kept secrets in Formula 1. The 65-year-old is now tasked with leading the various departments at Silverstone into the 2026 regulations. Among other things, Newey has noted that continuing his relationship with Honda is a huge positive.
Newey outlines what his first tasks will be at Aston Martin
Although Newey’s arrival at Aston Martin is a huge development, success is not guaranteed. The pieces of the puzzle are certainly present, but putting them together is another question entirely.
An important part of Aston’s 2026 equation will be their engine partner, Honda. The Japanese manufacturer’s ability to produce a powerful and reliable engine is key to any chances the team have of becoming a front-runner.
Ensuring there is cohesion between the team’s engine and aerodynamic departments is another priority task for Adrian Newey. Considering the newly constructed simulation tools at Silverstone still need to be calibrated, this will not be an easy task ahead of 2026.
The 65-year-old has roughly one year to get up to speed with the Silverstone-based team’s demands.
Still, Adrian Newey is generally optimistic about the tools at his disposal:
“The PU [Power unit], of course, has been announced for some time. Honda are working very hard on that.
“I’ll be very pleased to stay working with Honda. I’ve really enjoyed working with them over the last six years at Red Bull.
“A great bunch of engineers, very easy to work with. On the chassis side, the aerodynamic regulations will be announced on the 1st or 2nd of January.
“So I will be joining, kind of, two months into that. It will be a case of getting myself up to speed as soon as possible. And just as importantly, getting to know everybody here.
“Learning how to work with everybody and how we all get the best out of each other. That’s what it’s really about.”
Crunch time for Aston Martin
Perhaps the biggest challenge teams will face in 2026 is to perform at a consistently high level in all areas. Unlike the last three years, there will be significant differences between engine manufacturers when the new regulations arrive.
In combination with the introduction of active aerodynamics, the largely unknown 2026 cars will require Aston Martin to synthesise their various departments.
Looking ahead to the next few years, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll have reason to be optimistic. Adrian Newey, though far from faultless, has an exceptional record of understanding the demands of new regulations.
Still, it will be an intense adjustment period for all aspects of the team.
