Aston Martin Executive Chairman Lawrence Stroll has swiftly issued a statement on behalf of the Formula 1 team, as rumours circulate about the whereabouts of now-departed Audi boss Jonathan Wheatley.
On Thursday, reports surfaced that Wheatley was being lined up to replace Adrian Newey as Team Principal, with Newey himself looking to step back into a more technical role.
With the reports denied by the team, it was believed that whilst Wheatley was being targeted by his former Red Bull colleague, it would be unlikely that any sort of deal would be sewn up in the immediate future.
But with the German squad confirming its Team Principal’s exit, a potential impending arrival at Aston will now be expected by many within the sport.
Aston Martin statement in full
Stroll has acted quickly to quell a potential scrum of speculation, issuing the following statement to media including Motorsport Week:
“With the current speculation surrounding Adrian Newey’s role in our team, I want to take this opportunity to set the record straight.
“As Executive Chairman and Controlling Shareholder, I would like to reaffirm that Adrian Newey is my partner and an important shareholder. He is AMR’s Managing Technical Partner, and he and I have a true partnership built on a shared vision of success for the company.
“We do things differently here, and while we don’t currently adopt the traditional Team Principal role that you see elsewhere – it is by design.
“As the most successful engineer in the history of the sport, Adrian’s primary focus is on the strategic and technical leadership where he excels. He is supported by a highly skilled Senior Leadership Team to deliver on all aspects of the business, both at the Campus and trackside.
“We are regularly approached by senior executives of other teams who wish to join Aston Martin Aramco, but in keeping with our policy, we do not comment on rumour and speculation.”
With the Silverstone-based squad enduring a difficult start to 2026, a potential appointment of Wheatley would be a sensible option, leaving Newey to focus on a backroom role, as is his wont, which would also give him time to focus, along with Andy Cowell, to crack the whip on Honda amid its ongoing PU issues.
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