Sky F1’s Martin Brundle has issued a cautionary note to Aston Martin regarding their high-profile signing of legendary Formula 1 designer Adrian Newey.
While Newey’s arrival at the Silverstone-based outfit has been heralded by team owner Lawrence Stroll himself as a key component in Aston Martin’s ambitious plans to conquer the world championship, Brundle warns that extracting the full potential of Newey’s genius won’t be a straightforward task.
As one of F1’s most successful technical minds, Newey’s impact could either elevate Aston Martin to new heights or create unintended challenges if not managed correctly.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Brundle acknowledged the immense opportunity Aston Martin has secured with its latest recruit, but stressed the complexity of integrating a figure of Newey’s stature into an already large and functioning outfit.
“That’s a big challenge for a team,” Brundle said. “If you’ve got Adrian Newey on board, and you don’t win? Then you’ve wasted Adrian Newey. If you do win? Then it’s all about Adrian Newey.”
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Brundle's comments highlight the fine line Aston Martin will need to walk in balancing Newey’s influence with the broader team dynamics.
At Red Bull Racing, Newey’s technical genius has been seamlessly integrated with the overall operation, a model that Brundle believes Aston Martin will need to replicate to achieve success.
“It’s a problem they’ve got to manage. Red Bull have been extremely good at using the genius of Adrian, and compartmentalising other aspects to make sure that they get the best from him,” Brundle explained.
“Adrian is 66 years old on Boxing Day. He has a huge amount of success behind him. I’m sure this is his last roll of the dice with a big team, and he’ll want it to be a success.
“You can be sure that, for big picture stuff, he’s the man you want looking at it.”
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One of the key challenges Aston Martin faces is the size of its organization. With over 1,000 employees, the team will need to ensure that Newey’s presence enhances, rather than overshadows, the contributions of others.
“Aston Martin, like other teams, have a long way north of 1,000 people, and you need to keep them incentivised. They don’t want to be bit-part players,” Brundle noted.
“It’s a delicate operation to introduce Adrian into a team like that.
“But he’s worked with Honda while at Red Bull so will be helpful on that front. So will Andy Cowell, the ex-Mercedes man who is becoming CEO.”
Despite the potential challenges, Brundle sees enormous upside in Newey’s ability to provide critical ideas that could make a significant difference for Aston Martin, particularly with the new power unit regulations set to come into effect in 2026.
“He’ll have something in his head already about the really massive change of aerodynamics that go with the new power units of 2026,” Brundle said.
“For big picture stuff, he’ll have critical ideas. He’ll just knock something in, here and there, that will make the difference.
“Also, he’s ruthless. If Adrian wants something, he’ll get it. Even if it seems impossible time-wise or budget-wise, he will persist until he gets what he knows is right.
“That’s why you need a team of some might to make the best use of him.”
If managed well, Newey's technical insight and leadership could transform Aston Martin into a championship-contending team.
“But the path to success will require careful management and collaboration across the entire organization.”
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