Aston Martin Names Adrian Newey as F1 Team Principal for 2026

The hiring of Adrian Newey as team principal for the 2026 Formula 1 season is one of the most ambitious moves of this era in Formula 1. Widely considered to be among the best engineers in the history of the sport, Newey’s “technological genius” will succeed Andy Cowell, who is taking on a new role as chief strategy officer. The decision, which ends days of speculation regarding changes in the leadership of the team, was described as a “mutual decision” between Cowell and team owner Lawrence Stroll.

Newey joined Aston Martin as Managing Technical Partner earlier this year, and his new position marks a change in the aspirations of the team. Newey’s record of 12 Constructors’ Championships and 14 Drivers’ Championships may help Aston Martin to achieve a competitive advantage after finishing 8th at the conclusion of the 2025 season.

As a result of his prior experience as the head of Mercedes’ successful powertrain division, Cowell was hired to become the F1 team’s team principal in early 2025. Due to inconsistent results that many see as attributing to Cowell’s appointment, Aston Martin entered this year with the possibility of finishing its worst season since its rebranding in 2021. While a seventh-place finish remains a possibility, it appears very unlikely that they will complete a strong enough turnaround to finish sixth.

Even with this change in leadership, Newey will continue to have the technical lead, directing operations both onsite at the factory and at the race site. Thus, it is evident that Aston Martin is trusting in Newey to take the lead in development and engineering as they prepare for the new regulations of 2026.

Newey has already lauded Aston Martin’s internal talent base and has confirmed that through his formalized leadership their objective is to transform themselves from being a midfield team to becoming a legitimate contender in F1.