Newey named team principal of Aston Martin F1 for 2026!

Aston Martin has unveiled a major leadership shake-up ahead of Formula 1’s seismic 2026 regulation overhaul, announcing that Adrian Newey will become team principal while current boss Andy Cowell transitions into a newly created chief strategy officer position.

The restructuring formalises the division of responsibilities between Cowell and Newey, who joined the Silverstone-based squad as managing technical partner on 1 March.

The team says the changes are designed to “ensure the leadership team is well prepared to play to its collective strengths in 2026,” when F1 ushers in new engine rules and expands to an 11-team grid.

A New Era – And a First for Newey

The elevation of Newey to team principal is the headline-grabbing element. The decorated engineer has spent four decades shaping championship-winning machinery, but has never before held a team management role.

His new remit, which includes guiding the technical team and overseeing trackside operations, marks a surprising expansion of responsibility for someone whose celebrated career has revolved around design, aerodynamics and engineering philosophy rather than the political and managerial grind of running an F1 squad.

The announcement also ends persistent speculation that former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was being lined up for the job. With Newey now officially installed as the team’s future leader, those rumours can be firmly laid to rest.

Aston Martin credits Cowell with laying the groundwork for the team’s transition into a full works outfit, particularly through 2024 and 2025 as the organisation restructured for Honda’s incoming power unit partnership.

“Having implemented much needed structural changes as we transition to a full works team and set the foundations for Adrian and the wider organisation, it is an appropriate time for me to take a different role as Chief Strategy Officer,” Cowell said.

“In this role, I will help to optimise the technical partnership between the Team, Honda, Aramco and Valvoline and to ensure the seamless integration of the Team’s new PU, fuel and chassis.”

Stroll: ‘This leadership change is a mutual decision’

From 2026, Newey will become the operational head of the F1 squad while retaining his technical leadership.

According to the team, the dual role will allow him to “make full use of his creative and technical expertise” as Aston Martin positions itself to take advantage of the most transformative ruleset in a generation.

Team owner Lawrence Stroll emphasised that the shift was mutually agreed and rooted in ensuring Aston Martin is structurally equipped for the challenges ahead.

“Andy Cowell has been a great leader this year. He’s focussed on building a world-class team and getting them to work well together, as well as fostering a culture that puts the race car back at the heart of what we do,” Stroll said.

“This leadership change is a mutual decision we have reached in the interest of the Team. We all look forward to continuing working with him in his new capacity as Chief Strategy Officer.

“I’m also pleased that Adrian Newey will step into the Team Principal role, which will enable him to make full use of his creative and technical expertise. Both these changes will ensure the Team is best placed to play to their collective strengths.”

• Read also: Newey says ‘fear of failure’ fueling Aston Martin 2026 F1 design

Newey said he has been encouraged by what he has seen inside the organisation during his first months at Silverstone.

“Over the last nine months, I have seen great individual talent within our Team,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to taking on this additional role as we put ourselves in the best possible position to compete in 2026, where we will face an entirely new position with Aston Martin now a works team combined with the considerable challenge faced by the new regulations.

“Andy’s new role, focusing on the integration of the new PU with our three key partners, will be pivotal in this journey.”

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