Adrian Newey did not sign with Ferrari and instead chose Aston Martin. The Formula 1 team granted him every clause he requested in the contract to secure the British designer, including a percentage of the team’s corporate shares. Yesterday another official confirmation arrived regarding Newey: from 2026 he will also become the team principal, in addition to taking on the role of technical director. It is a scenario already seen at Maranello, where it never worked with Mattia Binotto.
Aston Martin: the statement and comments from those involved
The Stratford-upon-Avon genius has been hired to deliver a major technical boost, drawing on his extensive Formula 1 knowledge. The plan is to guide a young and ambitious team to the top of the world. Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll essentially wrote a blank cheque to secure Adrian, and as if that were not enough, he continues to give him even greater responsibility..
Andy Cowell and Adrian Newey have agreed to split their responsibilities so each can focus on their own strengths and experience, ensuring maximum organizational efficiency. Andy will take on a new role as Chief Strategy Officer, using his unique background to optimise the technical cooperation between the team, Honda, Aramco and Valvoline.
Meanwhile, Adrian will become team principal from 2026 and will lead the group of engineers, including all trackside operations for the car. These strategic changes are designed to ensure the team is fully prepared to maximise its collective expertise in 2026, when Formula 1 will undergo the most significant regulatory shift of this generation and an additional team will join the grid.
Full power to Newey? Perhaps there was another way to do it
It is easy to assume that this decision comes from a less-than-perfect alignment between Cowell and the former Red Bull designer. It is well known that Newey does not compromise on one key factor: he must always have the final word. This does not imply that Adrian wants absolute control, but when disagreements arise, his opinion must carry greater weight.
This level of authority is something he has fully earned through a career filled with extraordinary success. Such influence could be vital for a team still inexperienced in Formula 1 and yet to win even a single race. Aston Martin’s future shines brightly, but to avoid burning out too quickly they need someone like Adrian Newey to guide the technical evolution of the project.
From this perspective, moving Andy Cowell into another part of the organisation makes sense. What remains is to reflect on the new role that will be handed to Adrian. It might have been simpler and far less complicated to hire another team principal, someone aligned with Adrian Newey’s philosophy, who could have managed the role while allowing the British engineer full technical freedom.
The easiest way to keep Adrian Newey away from what he does best
What raises doubts is the need to overload the British designer with additional tasks, responsibilities entirely new to him and requiring significant effort. He will have to learn a new job and dedicate considerable focus to this unfamiliar position, and at 67 years of age, he will be expected to handle the communication side, take part in constant interviews, and publicly discuss the sporting direction of his team. In our view, this is asking too much.
These duties will inevitably keep him away from his real work, forcing him to delegate many of the areas in which he excels. It is a situation that Ferrari handled poorly in the past. The Binotto era, remember? Mattia held both the top technical and managerial roles at the same time. Managing two leadership positions within a team appears unnecessary, especially in a regulatory environment that will be completely new.
Since Lawrence Stroll acquired Force India and transformed it into Aston Martin, his growth strategy has always been measured and methodical. The announcement made yesterday, however, carries risky and potentially counterproductive implications. If Adrian Newey succeeds where Ferrari failed with Mattia Binotto, there will be nothing left to do but bow to the most iconic figure the sport has ever seen.
