Formula 1 News: How Adrian Newey is changing Aston Martin

Adrian Newey (pictured) joined Aston Martin in March but has largely stayed out of the spotlight. Sure, Newey’s main task is to mastermind the 2026 car that could lift Aston Martin into Formula 1 (F1) title contention. However, that doesn’t mean that the veteran F1 designer will not be seen again until the AMR26 hits the track.

Raising the bar

You don’t reach Newey’s level in Formula 1 without pushing yourself – and everyone around you – to the limit. It’s clear he’s wasting no time in setting the tone at Aston Martin and the targets are anything but modest.

Newey has been quite demanding of the engineers at the Silverstone factory. He sets ambitious targets for the team and tells them to find a way even though it might seem impossible at first glance. Sometimes, he comes up with the solutions himself.

This engineering approach will help Aston Martin make up the ground they have lost on their rivals over all these years. Sportsbooks consider the manufacturer a longshot in Constructors’ Championship conversations. Aston Martin needs something spectacular, like Newey’s unconventional ideas, to change that.

Nowadays, not a lot of punters realistically give thought to Aston Martin drivers before using betting apps to wager on F1. Besides recruiting world class drivers, the manufacturer also wants to make substantial improvements to their machines. Newey’s unique engineering philosophy could be the X factor they have been looking for.

Perfection isn’t a word you’d find in Newey’s dictionary. He believes there’s always room for improvement.

Identifying the problem

Aston Martin admitted last year that it didn’t have enough outside insight to properly benchmark its facilities and processes. Although the team had a general sense of its strengths and weaknesses, it failed to pinpoint its actual problems.

Newey made a more specific assessment after coming in. He revealed in Monaco that Aston Martin is struggling with simulator correlation, and solving it is the top priority for his team.

The Aston Martin team principal, Andy Cowell, implies that they had a vague idea of the problem. But they couldn’t decide what actually needed to be done, and to what extent.

Newey made the difference by pinpointing the problem. Now, the Aston Martin engineers have a specific target to concentrate their efforts on.

Because Newey is so involved day-to-day, his perspective on the strengths and weaknesses of Aston Martin’s tools is especially valuable.

Newey is the most senior engineer in the industry. In most cases, people at that level aren’t hands-on with the tools, but Newey doesn’t like to stay put. He knows the ins and outs of most design tools.

Rewriting the playbook

McLaren did not need to swap out the entire team to turn around their fortunes. They found success by building stronger team chemistry and unlocking the full potential of its people. Newey wants to replicate that formula at Aston Martin.

Besides highlighting the simulator correlation issue in Monaco, Newey pointed out that Aston Martin could not get the most out of its team. He wants everyone to work as a team and make Aston Martin fire on all cylinders.

Cowell says that Newey’s insights have helped the team to optimize its structure. Although each department has increased its size and toolset in recent years, Cowell raises concerns about whether they have developed a unified team spirit.

The term ‘silos’ gets thrown around a lot. Is there a silo mentality at Aston Martin? Possibly. But Cowell is convinced they can do more to unite and keep their focus solely on the race car.

Thanks to Adrian’s wealth of experience, the team benefits from a clear final decision-maker when it matters most.

The heart of the engineering team

While Aston Martin brought Newey on board for his design genius, he’s no lone wolf. He always values teamwork over solo efforts. Cowell points out that Newey spends plenty of time engaging with the staff and bouncing ideas around to refine their work.

Cowell explains that Newey often works within small engineering groups, sometimes alone at his drawing board or collaborating closely with one colleague, whether in his office or just outside it.

He’s often seen standing by a CAD screen with two or three engineers, pushing for everything to be done while they brainstorm solutions and share insights.

The engineers are visibly charged with excitement when Newey is around. They’re aware they’re not just taking a casual stroll but going on a monumental climb. Newey’s relentless competitive nature keeps the engineers motivated as they work tirelessly toward crafting the perfect racing machine for Aston Martin.

“They realize that instead of going for a walk up a small local hill, we’re going up Everest – and that’s an exciting thing to talk about, isn’t it? So there’s a spring in the engineers’ step because of Adrian’s competitive approach,” Cowell explains.