Newey to become Aston Martin team principal in 2026

Adrian Newey, a former Formula 1 designer, will take over as Aston Martin’s team principal next year.

Andy Cowell will no longer serve as the team’s principal and chief executive officer until 13 months after joining the team as a result of a significant restructuring of Aston Martin.

After leaving Red Bull last year, Newey left for Aston Martin in March.

He joined as the managing technical partner on a five-year deal that would give him the opportunity to earn up to £30 million annually, including bonuses and additions.

Cowell will take over as the team’s chief strategy officer, with an emphasis on the team’s partnership with Honda and their fuel suppliers.

The Aston Martin technical team, including the car’s trackside operations, would be led by Newey, who joined the company in March as its managing technical partner.

With the realization that Newey is the de facto authority in the team thanks to his expertise and years of experience, including winning 12 drivers’ and 13 constructors’ championships with Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull.

In that case, it would be logical to assign him the title of team principal, and Newey will follow Otmar Szafnauer, Mike Krack, and Cowell as Aston Martin’s fourth team principal in four years.

Owner of the team, Lawrence Stroll, stated in a statement: “Andy Cowell has been a great leader this year. He is devoted to creating a world-class team, ensuring successful collaboration, and fostering a culture that places the race car back at the center of everything we do.

We have chosen this leadership change in the team’s best interest. We all look forward to working with him in his new capacity.

Stroll continued, “Newey’s new position will enable him to make full use of his creative and technical expertise.”

“Over the past nine months, I have witnessed great individual talent within our team,” Newey said.

With Aston Martin now a works team and the significant challenge presented by the new regulations, I’m looking forward to taking on this additional role. I’m hoping to put myself in the best possible position to compete in 2026.

In this journey, Andy’s new role, which will concentrate on the integration of the new power unit with our three key partners, will be crucial.

Stroll had been thinking about changing his position of authority for the past few years, having spoken with several senior F1 figures, including Mattia Binotto, the current head of the Audi F1 project, Mattia Binotto, and his former CEO Martin Whitmarsh.

Christian Horner, the former Red Bull team’s principal, has been urging others to seek out a job at Aston Martin and wants a shareholding.

After being fired by Red Bull in July, Horner will no longer be able to work for the team, according to team sources.

However, it is said that Newey gave an Aston Martin factory tour on Tuesday night while the company was in the dark.

Cowell, a former Mercedes F1 engine boss, said in the statement that “the much-needed structural changes to support the transition to a full works team in readiness for the new regulations in 2026” had been made.