MPH: Is Newey next in Aston Martin's 'rockstar' line-up of F1 engineers?
F1
Aston Martin is assembling a formidable group of F1 engineers in preparation for an assault on the F1 title in 2026. Hiring Adrian Newey would cap a heavyweight technical team says Mark Hughes
Alonso could see out his career backed by serious engineering might
Let’s suppose that the ‘Adrian Newey to Aston Martin’ rumours are true. If so, it represents the final flourish to the biggest build-up of technical forces seen in F1 since Mercedes prepared for the first hybrid era.
Just in isolation, Newey joining Lawrence Stroll’s team would be a shock and awe development. But consider it in sequence with some of the team’s recent recruitments.
Ferrari’s technical director Enrico Cardile quit his position last month in order to be Aston’s chief technical officer, from 2025. A few days before that it was announced that Andy Cowell would be joining as Group CEO (replacing Martin Whitmarsh) reporting directly to Lawrence Stroll.
Left to right, Cowell led the creation of Mercedes’ hybrid F1 powertrain; Cardile was a Ferrari technical director; and Bob Bell was technical director of the championship-winning Renault team
Back in March Bob Bell joined as executive director, technical. This build-up ahead of an all-new formula had a familiar ring to it. It was very much how the Mercedes team prepared for the 2014 hybrid formula, with multiple former technical directors being recruited for major programmes, all of which would be brought together to create the generation of car which would go on to dominate for the following seven years. Bob Bell and Andy Cowell were two of those senior people. Now here they are again. Building up another formidable preparation for a previously under-achieving but hugely ambitious team.
Now add to that the exclusive partnership with Honda, with whom Cowell – the greatest power unit designer of his generation – can work and then the potential addition of Newey. Fernando Alonso must be rubbing his hands and hoping his skills are still fully in place at 44 years old at the beginning of 2026, turning 45 later that year. His contract includes the ’26 season. Lance Stroll’s recent contract extension takes him ‘beyond 2025’ – i.e. into the new formula of 2026.
It doesn’t take too much imagination to envisage a line of the hottest driving talent lining up to offer their services. But with the places apparently blocked until at least ’27, things could get very interesting.
