According to reports, Aston Martin removed Adrian Newey from the Team Principal role following the team’s poor results in the first two GPs of 2026. The successor to Newey remains unclear. Many observers did not find his removal surprising. Here’s a report on the current situation.
Aston Martin Racing and Adrian Newey Relations
Adrian Newey is famous for his car designs. He played a key role in developing some of the most dominant Formula 1 cars. For over 30 years, he never had the chance to lead a Formula 1 team. That changed at the end of 2025, when Aston Martin appointed him as Team Principal for the first time.
Lawrence Stroll, owner of Aston Martin, brought in many big names, including Adrian Newey. He also secured Honda as the team’s engine manufacturer for 2026. Aston Martin hoped to finally compete for wins and championships after spending five years in the Formula 1 midfield.
However, the team’s hopes instantly faded. The car failed to appear at the first testing in Barcelona, arriving only on the penultimate afternoon. After further delays, Aston Martin finally brought the AMR26 to the track for final testing. It ran completely off the pace compared to the other cars.
Their fear increased when the car failed to complete the first two GPs. It performed worse than the new joiner, Cadillac. Newey blamed Honda for the results, saying they did not provide enough officials to work on the project. Newey did not attend the Chinese Grand Prix.
Newey’s New Role at Aston Martin Racing
However, reports indicate that Aston Martin removed Newey from the Team Principal post. He still leads the engineering departments. Aston’s struggles continue to make headlines as the team undergoes several management changes. They have appointed three new Team Principals in the last two years. Well-known figures, such as ex-McLaren Team Principal Andreas Seidl and ex-Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner, have reportedly shown interest in the job.
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Christian Horner’s Arrival Back on the Track
Horner remains one of the choices for Aston Martin. He had a dream run at Red Bull, where he built the team from scratch into a top contender on the F1 grid. Horner established a big legacy at Red Bull, winning eight WDC and six WCC during his tenure. However, an allegation of sexual harassment tainted his legacy. Red Bull fired him from his post in the middle of 2025 but did not provide much information about his dismissal.
If Aston Martin hires Horner, the team risks losing Adrian Newey. Rumors suggest that Horner’s wrongdoings and the team’s power struggles drove Newey away from Red Bull. The story does not end there. Some reports accuse Newey of holding too much power, causing trouble, and being the main reason for Aston’s poor performance. However, no evidence supports these claims.
Some rumors claim Horner bought shares at Alpine and joined the team. Horner’s position in F1 remains a big question mark for everyone.
Potential Replacement For Adrian Newey
Andreas Seidl seems to be the best solution for the team. After his run with McLaren, he became CEO of Audi Racing in F1. He left just four months after Audi appointed him to the role in March 2024. Reports confirm that Seidl will become the new Team Principal. The team could announce it at any moment.
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No, Adrian Newey will still remain at AMR Racing, now in a different role, not being a Team Principal.
Though there have been reports, there is no hard evidence to say Horner would join Aston Martin.
Andreas Seidl is a German Motorsport engineer who has led teams like McLaren (2019-2022) and Sauber (2023-2024) and is now strongly linked to a move to Aston Martin.
