Adrian Newey Steps Down as Aston Martin Team Principal as Audi Left in Limbo

From Dark Horse to Lame Duck

Aston Martin’s return to Formula 1 racing as a full team has been tumultuous at best. Having had ups and (many) downs, the team needed an x-factor to get them to where they wanted to be. After all, Team Owner and multi-billionaire Lawrence Stroll has already poured substantial funds into the team.

One big investment has come in terms of personnel. In 2024, they were able to lure F1 car design wizard Adrian Newey away from Red Bull. With a keen eye on this season’s new regulation changes, they were touted as possible dark horses for 2026, but have instead stumbled out of the gate. Drastic measures are being taken to revive the team’s performance, and some key people are moving around.

Newey Out as Team Principal

This year’s season has been disastrous for Aston Martin so far; its Honda powertrains have proven unreliable and, thus far, very slow. It’s come to a point where the extreme vibrations emitted by the engine are forcing drivers Alonso and Stroll to retire to avoid permanent nerve damage.

For the past few months, Newey has been the head of the team’s design and technical department, and also wore the Team Principal hat. A report by Motorsport.com has revealed that he will be relinquishing that role to focus on further improving the car. In another shocking development, his replacement will reportedly be an old Red Bull colleague, also responsible for many championships, Jonathan Wheatley.

This comes as a shock considering Wheatley only recently became team boss of the Audi team. With a current contract enforced at Audi, it will take some time to get Wheatley onboard at Aston, but Newey’s stepping down indicates the change could happen sooner rather than later.

What’s Next?

Shockwaves have been sent throughout the F1 paddock with this move, but it shows that Aston is in dire need of help, and that something could also be up at Audi with Wheatley leaving so soon. If the report is true, it’s possible Newey personally endorsed and pursued Wheatley, considering both worked together at Red Bull and oversaw that team’s rise to F1 dominance.

For Audi, though, this leaves the new team exposed on the leadership front. However, waiting in the wings and already a boss at Audi F1 is former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto, who in the interim could fill in for Wheatley as the team searches for a new replacement.