Formula 1 world champion Damon Hill believes Adrian Newey could spearhead a renaissance for Aston Martin similar to Brawn GP’s spectacular 2009 double title.
Aston Martin has suffered a dramatic decline since its highs of 2023 when it had the second fastest car on the grid.
Dropping to seventh place in the standings in 2025, the team has not visited the podium since the 2023 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
But the arrival of design genius Adrian Newey could spell a dramatic change in fortune for the Silverstone based team.
1996 world champion Damon Hill believes that a change in the competitive order could be on the cards due to the new technical regulations.
“Yes, you could” Hill said to talkSPORT when asked if 2026 could see an upset to the Red Bull and McLaren dominance. “
“We could see a complete surprise.”
“Something like when Jenson Button won with Brawn – they surprised everyone because they saw through the regulations.”
Could Aston Martin pull off a repeat of the Brawn GP fairytale?
Hill believes the leadership of Newey could prove crucial to the team, given the Briton’s ability to master technical regulation overhauls.
“And the master of seeing through the regulations is Adrian Newey, who’s gone to Aston Martin.
“He left Red Bull and Max Verstappen behind and Christian Horner has left that team anyway, but he’s gone off to Aston Martin.
“He’s been working on this project now for a good 18 months or so, so we’re sort of expecting him to wave his magic wand over Aston Martin.
“It could happen.”
While the team is yet to launch its 2026 challenger, Honda has launched its 2026 engine in Tokyo, as concerns continue to grow over the competitiveness of its engine ahead of its official F1 comeback.
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