Adrian Newey to Step Down As Aston Martin Team Principal, Focus on Technical Matters: Report
· Yahoo Sports
Adrian Newey is stepping down from his four-month tenure as the Aston Martin Formula 1 team principal, Motorsport reports. Newey is reportedly not leaving Aston Martin, though, as he will allegedlt return his focus exclusively to technical matters. His reported replacement for the team principal job comes from in the paddock—current Audi team principal Jonathan Wheatley.
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That would make Wheatley’s stint at Audi an especially short one, considering he only joined at the start of the 2026 season. Prior to Audi, Wheatley was the sporting director at Red Bull, where he worked alongside Newey for years. The move isn’t official yet, but Motorsport reports the timing will hinge on Wheatley’s Audi contract.
Aston Martin alongside Honda is off to a brutal start to the season, with engine vibrations causing big problems for both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Neither car has finished a race yet, with retirements due to both the vibrations and powertrain issues. After the Chinese Grand Prix, Alonso said that “I began to lose all feeling in my hands and feet” before retiring.
Newey and Wheatley are coming off a string of extremely successful seasons at Red Bull, and there’s clearly a long way to go before the Aston Martin becomes competitive. Of course, the first step will be simply finishing a race, at which point perhaps the team can focus on grabbing valuable championship points.
If and when Wheatley’s move from Audi is official, the Sauber-turned-Audi team will need a new boss. Mattia Binotto, former Ferrari team principal, is the current CEO of Audi’s F1 team, but it’s unclear as of this publishing who would be chosen to replace Wheatley.
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