Aston Martin CEO and Team Principal Andy Cowell has revealed the extent of Adrian Newey’s focus on the outfit’s 2026 Formula 1 car.
Newey joined Aston Martin in early March as Managing Technical Partner, and after making his introductions, began working in earnest on the team’s 2026 car.
Aston Martin has a brand new facility, wind tunnel, forthcoming works engine partnership with Honda and the backing of fuels partner Aramco, all ingredients to make a success of next year’s major regulations change.
The Silverstone-based squad is making no secret its plan is to capitalise one of the biggest rules shifts in F1 history, where changes are coming to the power units, chassis, aerodynamics and tyres.
Newey has developed title-winning cars at Williams, McLaren and Red Bull and helped overhaul the latter from a midfield runner to a championship contender, and later a winner thanks to a 2009 regulations overhaul.
“He’s a racing car designer. One of the best,” Cowell said (via PlanetF1).
“From day one we made sure we prepared his working environment, he came in and went to meetings about the new rules, about the concepts we had worked on.”
Cowell explained that as soon as Newey was settled, he began working on the 2026 Aston Martin F1 machine, with his focus meaning he keeps communication to a minimum.
“We explained the countdown to the first test and the first race. And we pointed out all the deadlines for submitting information for the production of this [2026] car,” Cowell continued.
“He went straight to work with engineers to do sketches on his drawing board. He’s in that design cycle to design fundamental parts of the car. 90 per cent of the creation of a car is in the factory and that’s where we want Adrian.
“He has his office, everyone who walks past says that whenever they see him he’s always drawing on the whiteboard.
“Sure, he doesn’t go to meetings, he doesn’t answer emails, he’s just putting together a fast car – and we all support that process.”
‘Timescales complicated’ to produce AMR26
Aston is taking a big step to become a works team next season, and the 2026 testing is approximately nine months away.
“We have to work hard, the targets are complicated,” Cowell said.
“The timescales are complicated.
We are pushing, growing, implementing new tools and a very big organisation.
“But we are fighting very hard to have a fast car in 2026.”
Newey’s focus won’t be affected by 2025 form
Having Newey in its stable of course represents a huge opportunity for 2026, but Aston Martin’s start to the current campaign has been dismal, with just 10 points scored across five rounds.
With Fernando Alonso fearing the team won’t score for the remainder of the campaign, one could be tempted to let Newey fix the AMR25’s deficiencies.
Cowell, however, explained Aston Martin isn’t taking this course of action.
“100 per cent of Adrian’s designing time is focused on ’26,” said Cowell.
“The test is at the end of January, so getting a car ready for that point requires a slightly earlier decision point. And clearly, everything’s new. There’s zero carryover.
“So there’s lots of work there, and Adrian has just been focused on that.
“He’s focused largely on the tools that we’re using, rather than any direct performance aspect for the ’25 car,” Cowell concluded.
READ MORE – Aston Martin won’t divert Adrian Newey focus from F1 2026 despite poor 2025 start
