Aston Martin has signaled its boldest move yet for the 2026 Formula 1 reset: Adrian Newey will become Team Principal from 2026 while continuing as Managing Technical Partner. The announcement, made in November 2025 ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix, formalizes the evolution of Newey’s role after he joined the team on March 1, 2025.

This is more than a title change. It is a clear shift in how Aston Martin will run the race team as it becomes a full works outfit with Honda power units, Aramco fuels, and Valvoline lubricants in 2026. The goal is simple: build a car-and-engine package that can win under the biggest rule change F1 has seen in a generation.

Why the Aston Martin restructure happens now

F1’s 2026 regulations will change the sport’s tech balance and the power unit formula. Aston Martin moves from being a Mercedes customer to a Honda works team. That changes everything from packaging to cooling to how the car is driven and managed. It demands clear roles and tight alignment.

Andy Cowell, who became Group CEO in July 2024 and took over as Team Principal in January 2025 after Mike Krack, now shifts to Chief Strategy Officer. His job: connect the dots between Honda’s new power unit, Aramco’s sustainable fuels, Valvoline’s lubricants, and the Aston Martin chassis.

As Cowell put it: “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… to ensure the seamless integration of the Team’s new PU, fuel and chassis.”

“If Newey runs the pit wall and the drawing board, 2026 just got a lot more interesting.”

What Adrian Newey brings as Team Principal

Newey’s resume needs no fluff: 12 Constructors’ titles, 14 Drivers’ crowns, and 223 Grand Prix wins across cars he designed or directed between 1991 and 2024. From Williams and McLaren to Red Bull’s RB16B (2021), RB18 (2022), and RB20 (2024), his cars have shaped eras.

But this appointment is about more than past trophies. Newey has spent the past nine months inside Aston Martin, guiding the technical group and trackside operations as Managing Technical Partner. He has seen the talent, the tools, and the gaps.

“Over the last nine months, I have seen great individual talent within our Team,” Newey said. “I’m looking forward to taking on this additional role as we put ourselves in the best possible position to compete in 2026… Andy’s new role, focusing on the integration of the new PU with our three key partners, will be pivotal in this journey.”

Jefferson Slack, Aston Martin’s commercial chief, painted the picture of Newey’s daily impact: “Revolutionary. The guy is — I think his wife calls it a trance. He’s got this office in the middle of [Aston Martin’s HQ], big glass office with a drawing board. He’s there all the time. He’s there on Saturdays… The guy is relentless, motivated, competitive, wants to design a great car.”

Clear roles, faster decisions: Stroll, Newey, Cowell

Lawrence Stroll stays as Executive Chairman, focused on the business and the long-term vision. Newey will run the racing team and technical direction from the garage to the factory. Cowell will handle partner integration so the power unit, fuel, and lubricants talk to the chassis from day one.

This division should cut bottlenecks. It lets Newey lead the car concept and race operations. It gives Cowell a direct lane to maximise the Honda works package with Aramco and Valvoline. And it frees Stroll to keep driving commercial growth, which includes new backers like CoinPayments and CoreWeave.

“Cowell on the partners, Newey on the car, Stroll on the business — that’s finally a clean pit wall.”

From 2025 struggle to 2026 opportunity

Aston Martin heads toward the Abu Dhabi finale eighth in the 2025 Constructors’ standings (some reports list seventh). That position underlines why change was needed, and why timing matters. The team must stop firefighting and build for 2026 now.

Newey’s expanded authority brings one accountable voice for performance. Cowell’s shift removes friction in the engine-chassis-fuel triangle. Together, that can unlock lap time that only a fully integrated works squad can find.

This is also a response to the market. Names like Christian Horner, Andreas Seidl, Mattia Binotto, and Gianpiero Lambiase were all floated at different times. Instead, Aston Martin chose a model that splits leadership by strength — the designer as team boss, the engine guru as strategist, the investor as chairman.

What success will look like in the Honda works era

Success in 2026 will not be measured only by podiums. It will be seen in how quickly the team hits the sweet spot of the new rules. That means smart packaging, stable cooling, and a car that lets the new power unit breathe and deploy energy well.

Newey has won by finding the edges of new rules before others. Cowell has spent a career making power units sing with the car around them. If they get the integration right, Aston Martin’s ceiling rises fast.

“If 2026 is a reset, Newey is the reset button.”

The road ahead: risks and rewards

The risks are real. A new engine partnership, new fuels and lubricants, and new rules can overwhelm even strong teams. Decision speed will decide early-season form in 2026. So will reliability.

Yet the rewards are obvious. A clear structure reduces noise. A single car and engine story improves the feedback loop. With Newey at the helm and Cowell aligning the partners, Aston Martin gives itself the best shot at making the leap from midfield to the front.

It is a bold bet, but a logical one. And now it is on the stopwatch.