Aston Martin Team Principal Adrian Newey reflects on the ‘parallels’ between his difficult start at Red Bull and Aston Martin’s current troubles in F1.
Aston Martin has suffered an immensely tough F1 season. While many believed that bringing Adrian Newey into the team would help the team move forward, the highly respected engineer-turned-Team Principal has not eased their suffering yet.
When Newey spoke to media, including Motorsport Week, at the United States Grand Prix, he compared Aston Martin’s struggles to those Red Bull has overcome in the past.
“I think there are actually a lot of parallels between when I started at Red Bull and when I started at Aston Martin,” the 66-year-old said.
Newey pointed out the struggles Red Bull faced when he joined in 2006, after the team had already been through several owners, managers and buyers. Similarly, Aston Martin has faced several eras in its history, especially before Lawrence Stroll took over in 2018.
“Both teams, through their history, had had quite a lot of turmoil, with changes of owners, changes of senior managers, etcetera. And it’s then really trying to get everybody working together, trying to break down silos, improve the culture, and that’s been the same again.” Newey explained.
‘Huge amounts of progress’ at Aston Martin
Currently, Aston Martin has secured only seven points this F1 season, all of which Fernando Alonso has taken, while Lance Stroll has yet to score his first point in 2026. Despite their less than stellar season, Newey believes the team is on a promising trajectory.
“I think we’re making huge amounts of progress,” said Newey. “It really feels now like the team’s coming together. The team spirit within the engineering offices, in particular, is very strong now. I see a lot of ideas being generated, lots of people chatting with each other, working late in the evening.
“So, very impressed with how the individuals are really kind of… you can feel the buzz in the factory now.
“Honda, obviously, is working hard. They’re a great company, as we all know, capable of great things, as they’ve proved many times in the past. We are working closely with them, and so I’m hopeful for the future.”
It takes time to turn an F1 team around, and with Aston Martin slowly but surely making progress, it is only a matter of time before that progress is reflected on the track.
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