Aston Martin appoints Adrian Newey as team principal for 2026
Aston Martin’s decision to appoint Adrian Newey as team principal from 2026 has prompted scrutiny, particularly after comments from his former Red Bull colleague Christian Horner resurfaced this week, reports BritPanorama.
The restructuring announcement, made with just two races remaining in the 2025 season, sees Newey taking on leadership responsibilities alongside his existing role as Managing Technical Partner. The 66-year-old designer, whose cars have secured 12 constructors’ championships and 14 drivers’ titles, will assume the position currently held by Andy Cowell.
However, Horner’s previous assessment of Newey’s management capabilities has raised questions about whether the acclaimed engineer possesses the necessary skills for team leadership. Speaking on the High Performance Podcast four years ago, Horner remarked, “Adrian is an artist, there’s no point in Adrian managing a bunch of people because it would be chaos.” These remarks carry particular weight given Horner’s extensive experience working alongside Newey at Red Bull from 2006 to 2024.
During their partnership, Horner handled team management while Newey concentrated exclusively on technical development, an arrangement that proved remarkably successful for the Milton Keynes-based outfit. Industry observers have noted that Newey’s reputation stems from his engineering brilliance rather than leadership experience. The creative process that yielded championship-winning cars thrived under a system where he operated without managerial constraints.
The arrangement at Aston Martin represents a significant departure from what enabled Newey’s success at Red Bull. Critics suggest that whether he can maintain his innovative approach whilst managing team principal duties remains uncertain, especially given the demands of overseeing an entire Formula 1 operation. Former Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has echoed these concerns, suggesting that trackside leadership is “not his strength.”
The restructuring appears to have emerged from tensions between Newey and Cowell, who reportedly struggled to find common ground on operational matters. This resulted in Newey assuming complete authority while Cowell shifted focus to power unit development. The transitional nature of this arrangement adds further uncertainty, as Cowell will remain absent from circuits in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, with predecessor Mike Krack serving as Aston Martin’s representative.
Meanwhile, the vacant CEO position hints at potential future changes, with speculation persisting about Horner’s possible involvement once his gardening leave concludes in April 2026.
The move to elevate a figure renowned for technical artistry to a role laden with leadership challenges underlines a broader tension in motorsport between engineering excellence and operational management. As Aston Martin embarks on this new chapter, the implications of balancing innovation with effective team leadership might just redefine their trajectory in the coming seasons.
