Renowned designer Adrian Newey was spotted in Aston Martin colours for the first time during the Monaco race weekend. The British aerodynamics guru moved over from Red Bull this year. His task is to design a competitive car for Lawrence Stroll’s team by 2026. As for Aston Martin’s line-up, he is very positive. Newey also believes that driver Lance Stroll has an undeserved bad reputation within Formula 1.
Few drivers have been criticized as much as Lance Stroll. This is, of course, due to the fact that his father owns the Aston Martin team. Critics argue that the 26-year-old Canadian did not earn his seat, but bought it. In addition, Stroll often makes unnecessary mistakes, as was evident again this weekend in Monaco. During a free practice, he overlooked Charles Leclerc and steered his AMR25 into the Monegasque’s racing line. The incident cost Leclerc a front wing.
‘He is much better than people give him credit for’
When asked about Lance Stroll’s qualities, Adrian Newey was immediately full of praise. “I think he has an undeserved bad reputation,” said the Brit to Autosport. “If you compare him to his teammates – Sergio Pérez, Nico Hülkenberg, Sebastian Vettel and now Fernando Alonso – he has done well. Every driver who makes it to Formula 1 is clearly very good, but I think Lance is much better than people give him credit for.” Of course, these statements should be taken with a grain of salt; perhaps Newey simply does not want to offend his new boss.
Adrian Newey’s Admiration for Fernando Alonso
Alongside Stroll, Adrian Newey is also a great admirer of Fernando Alonso. The celebrated designer is grateful for finally having the opportunity to work with the Spaniard. “Fernando, he’s such a cool personality,” says Newey. “Of course, he has been the enemy for many years, just like Lewis Hamilton. I believe I have said before that you can only work with a limited number of drivers, but two drivers I have always wanted – the brothers of the modern era – were Lewis and Fernando. I didn’t succeed with either, but now I have at least one.”
Adrian Newey – appearing for the first time in Aston Martin colors – stands up for Lance Stroll.
