Aston Martin reunites Newey with former Red Bull ally in sim push

Aston Martin has made significant moves to strengthen its Formula 1 technical lineup, recruiting Giles Wood, a former Red Bull engineer and close colleague of managing technical partner Adrian Newey, to enhance its operations at its Silverstone base.

According to a report from The Race, Wood, who worked alongside Newey for seven years at Red Bull, joins as simulation and vehicle modelling director, marking a reunion with the legendary designer.

During his time at Red Bull Racing and Red Bull Advanced Technologies, Woods played a central role in building the team’s performance modelling tools.

The Briton’s experience spans a pivotal period in the Milton Keynes-based outfit’s history, including the four consecutive drivers' and constructors' championships achieved with Sebastian Vettel between 2010 and 2013.

More recently, he stepped away from Formula 1 to work on autonomous technology projects for Apple in California, before now returning to the F1 fold.

The move comes as Aston Martin seeks to address a relative weaknesses in its technical infrastructure, particularly its driver-in-the-loop simulator, which Newey has openly criticized.

“I think it is fair to say that some of our tools are weak, particularly the driver in the loop simulator,” Newey stated recently.

“It needs a lot of work because it’s not correlating at all at the moment, which is a fundamental research tool. Not having that is a limitation.

“But we’ve just got to work around it in the meantime and then sort out a plan to get it to where it needs to be. But that’s probably a two-year project in truth.”

Wood’s expertise in simulation is expected to be instrumental in tackling this challenge, aligning Aston Martin’s tools with those of its rivals.

Aerodynamic Expertise and Team Momentum

In addition to Wood, Aston Martin has recruited Gioacchino Vino, a seasoned aerodynamicist with an impressive track record. Vino’s career includes stints at Toyota and Red Bull, followed by a decade at Mercedes, where he rose to the role of chief aerodynamicist before departing in November 2024.

He is believed to have started his role at Aston Martin in April 2025, bringing valuable insights from his time with two of F1’s most successful teams.

Team Principal Andy Cowell expressed enthusiasm about the new additions, highlighting their immediate impact on the team’s dynamics.

“Giles left F1 for a period of time, worked in California, and is now back looking after our modelling and simulation world,” Cowell told The Race.

“When you watch the interaction of those two guys with Adrian and the existing team, the energy and the determination is significantly higher.

“It’s amazing how key hires like Adrian, but also the other individuals, just helps everything. It helps lift everybody. I’m not so sure it’s the work rate, but it’s the target setting.”

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Aston Martin’s recruitment of Wood and Vino underscores its commitment to building a championship-contending team, leveraging the expertise of proven talent to complement Newey’s vision.

As the team works to overhaul its technical capabilities, these hires mark a pivotal step toward closing the gap to F1’s front-runners.

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