Leading designer Adrian Newey has been working at Aston Martin for two months now. The former Red Bull designer’s main task is to work on the British team’s 2026 car, as drastic regulatory changes are fast approaching. Newey reflects on his first impression of Aston Martin and admits that the challenges associated with the completely new regulations are ‘a bit scary’.
Time flies, and Adrian Newey has already been at work at Aston Martin for two months. The top designer announced last September that he was leaving Red Bull for the British racing stable after eighteen years of loyal service. For Newey, his new job is a bit of an adjustment, especially since employer Aston Martin has a different mentality on the grid than the Austrians.
Winner’s Mentality
“When a team hasn’t had much success over the years, not winning becomes the norm,” explains Newey. Since 2021, Newey’s new employer has been known as Aston Martin. Previously, the racing stable was known as Jordan Grand Prix and Racing Point. The team has not been able to secure a victory since the last name change. Fernando Alonso came closest in 2023 when he finished second in the Grands Prix of Monaco, Canada, and the Netherlands.
“Therefore, it’s important to create the confidence that we have the collective capabilities to succeed,” Newey continues. “This is all part of our effort to make progress. I’m not a cheerleader, and I’m not like an American football coach who stands in front of a room and gives a rousing speech. It’s about working with everyone and developing together.”
2026 Regulations
The prospect of the regulatory changes in 2026 may also assist the British team. After four years, the entire F1 regulation will be overhauled. “Initially, I thought the regulations were so prescriptive that there wasn’t much room left for a designer,” Newey said about the 2026 regulation. “But then you start delving into the details and realize that there is more flexibility and room for innovation and different approaches than you would initially think.”
The Brit believes that the regulations, like in 2022, will provide considerable variation among the teams. “There is enough flexibility in the regulations, and I’m sure people will come up with different solutions. Some will be discarded in the first two or three years, as the teams converge.”
In addition, the fact that both the chassis regulation and the engine regulation are being adjusted provides an extra challenge for the top designer. “That’s interesting and a bit scary,” admits Newey. “Both the new aerodynamic rules and the engine rules offer opportunities. I expect a range of aerodynamic solutions. And in addition, variation in the performance of the engines on the grid at the beginning, just like in 2014.” In 2014, the hybrid era began in Formula 1. Mercedes managed to build the best engine of the grid in the first years, winning the constructors’ title eight times.
