Adrian Newey, Team Principal of Aston Martin, has drawn parallels between the team’s current difficulties and the challenges he encountered during his initial tenure at Red Bull. Newey, who assumed the Team Principal role at Aston Martin in 2026, noted similarities in team turmoil and management changes.
Aston Martin’s 2026 Formula 1 season has been significantly underwhelming, failing to meet expectations for a team with championship aspirations. The team currently sits eighth in the Constructors’ Championship, having accumulated only seven points across 17 rounds.
The AMR26 car has been plagued by performance deficiencies and reliability issues, primarily stemming from the Honda power unit. Honda’s 2026 engine has suffered from a lack of power, turbo lag, severe vibrations, and general drivability concerns.
Honda admitted in 2025 that their 2026 power unit would not be competitive, and its performance has been worse than anticipated. Vibrations within the engine have also been identified as damaging the battery system.
Under the FIA’s Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) system, Honda was granted two additional upgrades for both the 2026 and 2027 seasons. This dispensation was provided because Honda’s internal combustion engine performance was more than four percent below the leading power unit.
Fernando Alonso recently demonstrated the AMR26’s potential in wet conditions at the Brazilian Grand Prix, reaching Q3 for the first time this season. He qualified ninth and started eighth, praising the car’s ‘phenomenal’ cornering ability despite a straight-line speed deficit.
However, Alonso finished 12th in Brazil, outside the points, while Lance Stroll retired due to a battery problem. This marked Stroll’s 13th retirement of the 2026 season, highlighting ongoing reliability concerns.
Newey, who joined Aston Martin as Managing Technical Partner in March 2025, stated that the team began work on the AMR26 chassis significantly later than its rivals. This delay, with the car entering the wind tunnel in April 2025, contributed to the car being overweight.
Christian Horner, former Red Bull Team Principal, has also commented on Aston Martin’s situation, suggesting the team was not adequately prepared for Newey’s working methods. Horner drew parallels to Red Bull’s own organizational adjustments when Newey joined in 2006.
Red Bull experienced a ‘painful reset’ during the 2014 turbo-hybrid era, with an underperforming Renault engine limiting their title aspirations. Newey noted that the 2024 Red Bull car also became more challenging to drive, with a perceived lack of experience in the technical staff contributing to the issue.
Looking ahead, Honda has outlined a two-step development plan for its 2027 power unit, targeting improvements for the season opener and a further upgrade around the eighth round. The focus is on enhancing internal combustion performance, which will gain increased importance under the 2027 regulations.
Despite these planned upgrades, Honda anticipates that Aston Martin will likely remain behind the leading power unit manufacturers at the start of the 2027 season.
