Cowell: Newey defines all aspects of machine architecture.

      At the beginning of March, Adrian Newey moved into his new office at the Aston Martin base in Silverstone, where all conditions have been created for him, and since then he has rarely interrupted the process of developing the 2026 chassis, which is being designed for a Honda powertrain. During this time, he has only attended the Monaco and British Grands Prix, especially since the Silverstone circuit is just a half-hour walk from the Aston Martin Technology Campus.

      "Adrian is an amazing person," Andy Cowell, the team principal and CEO, explained in an interview with the championship's official website. "He has enormous experience, but what he loves most is standing at the drawing board and contemplating the design of a racing car.

      And he's not just talking about any one part of the car, but about the entire system as a whole. Since March, he has been spending hour after hour at his computer, thinking about suspension concepts, monocoque design, how the driver will sit in the cockpit, and the engine placement. Essentially, he determines all aspects of the future car's architecture.

      He is also characterized by a bold and creative approach, pushing the boundaries of what is possible, leaving less and less space for other engineers to integrate additional components into the car. But this even inspires them: first, they consider how they should act, then they find the necessary solutions, and Adrian helps them.

      He doesn't just pose problems—he actively helps find solutions, with careful consideration for every detail, which are then enthusiastically implemented by the other departments working within the team.

      Everything begins with an idea that Adrian develops while standing at his computer. Then, to start working on the next chassis component in the wind tunnel, a model must be created, and this is done by other specialists. Designers, engineers, and our suppliers develop and manufacture parts of the car to produce a high-quality model for testing in the wind tunnel.

      The process is proceeding faster than ever before, and that's very exciting. Before the British Grand Prix, we invited both drivers, Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris, to the aerodynamics department, where Adrian explained the distinctive features of the model that is being tested in the wind tunnel.

      In terms of packaging solutions, he truly pushes the boundaries of what is possible: he's able to fit ten components into a space where typically only one would fit. All our engineers—and not just engineers, but all specialists in the aerodynamics department—see how complex this task is… The pace at which we are conducting aerodynamic research while developing the 2026 chassis is clearly faster than anything we've done before. And it's truly impressive…

      It's very gratifying to see this progress—it has become possible thanks to new infrastructure at the base, new specialists, and the methods they employ. So, working on the 2026 project is very interesting.

      The transitional period from the customer team to the factory team continues, coinciding with the shift to the new technical regulation and the commissioning of new equipment at the Silverstone base. This represents a colossal change for everyone in the team… Yet, everyone also strives for success; all want to catch up with the leaders.

      The collaboration with Honda engines has been ongoing for many months, and the power unit is very organically integrated with the rear of the monocoque and our transmission. On Honda's Japanese facility in Saku, bench tests are underway, and we are testing the transmission here in Silverstone as well as in Saku, together with the power unit.

      Every day, meetings are held—including at higher management levels—to ensure everyone is moving in the right direction."

      Much is changing at Aston Martin, but one thing remains stable—its lineup, which includes two-time world champion Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, the son of team owner Lawrence Stroll.

      "Fernando is one of the most incredible drivers," Cowell commented. "He has outstanding skill, but also a very right perspective. He thoroughly examines all the nuances of the car's design, thinking not only about how it performs in a particular session or race.

      Lance’s outlook for the team genuinely excites us, and we’re glad he will continue working with us next year. Looking at how he scored points, you could say luck was on his side at the start of the season, and now it probably seems to be turning away from him, but he continues to work diligently."

      Currently, Aston Martin is eighth in the Constructors' Championship, with the same number of points as the Racing Bulls, and five points behind Sauber. The team is not about to give up and hopes to improve its standing. Of course, most of these hopes are tied to the next season and Adrian Newey’s contributions, which largely steer the development direction.