Aston Martin has created great expectations in Formula 1 since the arrival of Adrian Newey, recognised as the best single-seater designer in the history of motorsport. The impact of his arrival will not be immediate and the benefits of his presence will not be instantaneous, if we are to believe what is being said by the team
The British team is immersed in a period of great importance for its future, on the one hand, due to the work on its new factory located in Silverstone and, on the other, due to the fact that it is already building a future as the official team of Honda. This process requires challenges and adjustments that take time for everything to work.
As Andy Cowell said, much of the work has been devoted to the 2026 car, which means that any improvements to the current car could depend on multiple factors, both strategic and technical, but his statements indicate that their participation is not completely ruled out.
Newey’s impact will come in 2026
The arrival of Adrian Newey at Aston Martin is going to make a lot of noise in 2026. The British engineer is currently immersed in understanding the new galleries that will mark the new generation of single-seaters from next season onwards. “The arrival of Adrian Newey brings immense experience and a unique competitive mindset. But right now, his main focus is the 2026 car,” said Andy Cowell, Aston Martin team principal.
This delayed effect corresponds to Aston Martin’s transition to Honda’s official team, a change that entails a total reorganization of the engine’s behavior and the introduction of the Japanese power unit.
Aston Martin and strategic planning
The Silverstone team is making a very intense effort on many fronts. They are not limited to mere collaboration with Adrian Newey, but are developing all the elements that make up the car internally, while working with Honda and Aramco on the development of sustainable fuels. “It’s a huge project, with a colossal workload, but with immense enthusiasm. Our challenge is clear: to find the balance between the development of the current car and preparation for 2026,” Cowell explained.
Although Adrian Newey could suggest reforms for the car they will drive in 2025 depending on the races ahead, the team has indicated that they will not change their focus, which is on the 2026 season.
A key wind tunnel for the future
One of the fundamental elements that has led to the evolution of Aston Martin is its new wind tunnel at Silverstone. Although it is already a functional tunnel, it is in its infancy, so this facility still has to be adjusted to improve its operation and achieve an adequate correlation with the data obtained on the track.
“Between wind tunnel simulations, computational fluid dynamics and track tests, the data must be constantly correlated. We are confident that our new wind tunnel will allow us to optimize every detail,” said Cowell.
The ‘Adrian Newey effect’ will not affect Formula 1 at all in the 2025 season, according to Aston Martin. Its effect will begin to be felt later in the 2026 car, the AMR26, when Aston Martin begins to be established as Honda’s official team and with its infrastructure fully optimized. Until then, the team will continue to do the math to balance the evolution of the present with that of the future.