Adrian Newey will head the Aston Martin team in 2026.

      Aston Martin announced changes to its leadership. In 2026 the new team principal of its Formula 1 team will be Adrian Newey.

      The British specialist, who joined the team this year as managing technical partner, will, in addition to the general duties of a team principal, be responsible for leading all engineers and technicians, including overseeing work with the car at the circuit.

      Andy Cowell, who is currently the team principal and chief executive, will take up a new position as director of strategy next year and will report directly to the chairman of the board and owner, Lawrence Stroll.

      Aston Martin expects Cowell to help optimize technical collaboration between the team and its strategic partners — Honda, Aramco and Valvoline — to ensure the most effective integration of the chassis with the power unit.

      Andy Cowell: "After we made the much-needed structural changes related to the transition to the status of a full factory team and laid the groundwork for Adrian and the whole organization to operate, it is time for me to take up the new role of director of strategy. In this role I will help optimize technical collaboration between the team, Honda, Aramco and Valvoline, and ensure the organic integration of the new power unit and its fuel system with the chassis produced by our team."

      Lawrence Stroll: "This year Andy Cowell has shown himself to be an excellent leader. He has been focused on building a world-class team, establishing effective operations and shaping a culture that makes the racing car the centre of everything we work for. The leadership changes are a mutual decision made in the interests of the team. We all look forward to continuing to work with Andy in his new role as director of strategy. I am also pleased that Adrian Newey will take the post of team principal, which will allow him to fully use his creative and technical potential. These two changes will enable the team to make the most effective use of its strengths."

      Adrian Newey: "Over the past nine months with our team I have become acquainted with its talented specialists and am ready to take on an additional role. We are striving to prepare as well as possible for 2026, when Aston Martin F1, having gained factory team status, will be in a completely new position. Moreover, this will occur at a time when we face significant challenges related to the transition to the new technical regulations. With Andy in his new role, the main focus will be on integrating the new power unit with the chassis and liaising with the team's key partners, which will be crucial in the next stage of our development."

      During the race weekend in Las Vegas there was widespread speculation in Formula 1 that Christian Horner, who had been dismissed from Red Bull Racing, would become the new team principal of Aston Martin, but that did not happen.