Newey has not been involved with the 2025 Aston Martin in any capacity, according to the team principal.

      "He was not interested in ceremonial presentations"

      By GMM

      13 March 2025 - 10:49

      Adrian Newey has yet to apply his renowned skills to Aston Martin's new car for 2025. During recent pre-season testing in Bahrain, the green cars seemed to lack speed, with prominent figures like Fernando Alonso already looking towards the new era set to begin in 2026. "I believe we’ve made progress," Alonso stated in Melbourne, "but it appears that everyone else has improved as well." Team principal Andy Cowell, however, maintains a more optimistic perspective. "We have a car that we think is superior to last year’s in many respects," he mentioned. "But, as always, there are areas that need work."

      "We’re certainly not where we want to be. There are sectors in the corners and on the straights that we are aiming to enhance, some of which can be addressed here, while others need further development to optimize both the aerodynamic and mechanical aspects." After a spell of 'gardening leave,’ Newey began his role at Aston Martin's Silverstone facility only ten days ago. "He wanted no ceremonial presentations—he arrived and went directly into a concept meeting," Cowell remarked.

      When asked what the former Red Bull mastermind had been doing since March 3, Cowell elaborated: "He’s been familiarizing himself with the 2026 regulations, diving deeper into our ongoing work, comprehending it, and contributing ideas to the drawing board." He readily acknowledges that Newey's focus up to this point has been solely on the entirely different car for the upcoming year. "I find myself smiling," Cowell was quoted by Marca sports newspaper, "and I won’t disclose any specifics because I don’t want our rivals to be informed."

      "But there are a few areas where people are already questioning, ‘Can we really pursue this direction?’ or ‘Is that feasible?’ and the engineers are examining it and saying, ‘Sure, let’s give it a shot.’" "I believe that’s the Adrian effect," Cowell explained. "He identifies the areas that require pushing, and everyone embraces it." With Aston Martin anticipated to face difficulties with its current car, Cowell is cautious when inquiring if Newey might offer suggestions to improve its speed. "So far, he’s been entirely focused on the 2026 car, working on its designs," he stated.