Alonso attributes the setbacks at Aston to Newey's philosophy.

      Adrian Newey will make his return to the Formula 1 paddock during the Monaco weekend after a period of speculation surrounding his absence from Aston Martin’s challenging 2026 season. The renowned designer's low visibility had sparked rumors that ranged from concerns about the team's poor performance to suggestions of health problems, and even speculations about Jonathan Wheatley, the former Audi head, possibly stepping into the team principal position.

      However, Aston Martin's trackside chief, Mike Krack, confirmed that Newey will be in Monaco. "We’ll see him this weekend," Krack stated. "It’s beneficial because he possesses a wealth of experience here and has achieved a lot. He can assist us with his guidance."

      Although Newey is technically still the team boss, he will not handle all the responsibilities typically associated with a team principal during the race weekend. Instead, the team's ambassador Pedro de la Rosa will represent Aston Martin at the FIA press conference.

      Aston Martin's challenging start to the Honda era continues to be a significant concern. Honda’s Shintaro Orihara acknowledged that the manufacturer is still waiting for the FIA to finalize proposed engine rule changes before determining its next steps for development. "In our current situation, we are still awaiting the FIA’s decision," he stated. "Once we receive it, we will have a clearer understanding of what improvements are necessary."

      Orihara admitted that substantial engine enhancements are unlikely to come quickly. "The process of rolling out a new engine is a long-term endeavor," he explained. "It’s not a short-term development initiative." When asked when an upgraded power unit might be available, he humorously responded, "Maybe I’d suggest summer, but I can't specify which summer—whether it's summer in Greece, summer in England, or summer in Japan."

      Fernando Alonso shared that some of Aston Martin’s reliability problems are directly related to Newey’s ambitious design approach. "Adrian always aims to push the limits and then take a half step back once he finds them," the Spaniard noted. Alonso said the team is consciously resisting the urge to revert to more conservative strategies. "We understand that returning to traditional solutions might give us a short-term performance gain," he elaborated. "However, we prefer to stick with this approach because we believe it can unleash much greater potential in the near future."

      The two-time world champion is also hopeful that a recurring problem with his seat, which caused him to retire in Montreal due to significant discomfort, has now been resolved. "We addressed it last week by testing various driving positions," Alonso mentioned. "We tried four different configurations and ultimately returned to the position used in 2025. The testing is finished."

      Krack confirmed that substantial work had been done with Alonso earlier this week. "Fortunately, he lives nearby," he said. "So on Tuesday, we focused a lot of effort on it and made numerous adjustments." Alonso believes Monaco will serve as a crucial test for several other unresolved concerns. "One of those issues will undoubtedly be the gearbox," remarked the 44-year-old. "Monaco is not a place for unexpected downshifts; one can end up in the wall and simply be a passenger. That’s what we need to fix, and Monaco will reveal the truth."