When we talk about Formula 1, as with other sports, we imagine large facilities, big offices and infrastructure, meetings with top-level technical teams, surrounded by all kinds of technology. The truth is that the new Aston Martin factory has everything necessary for important decisions to be made in such settings. But often, things are much simpler, and Grada3 has had access to confirm this. Decisions at Aston Martin are also made in a simple cafeteria, even if the person involved only works with a whiteboard and a pen.
The work of Aston Martin
Things have changed at Aston Martin in recent years. The factory has everything necessary for the team to reach the top, in terms of technology, innovation, and personnel. Lawrence Stroll has made sure that nothing is missing to make the team one of the strongest in F1, and he wants his project to begin to come to fruition in 2026.
That’s why the factory is focused almost 100% on building next season’s car. Few people are closely following the development of the AMR25, and their numbers are dwindling as the weeks go by and more workers join the new season’s organization chart, led by Adrian Newey, who has barely touched this year’s car specifications, although he has done some work and is waiting for new parts and data for correlation with the wind tunnel and simulator.
Newey’s influence on the AMR25
He has looked at things and given advice, but that is not his main job. However, his experience and knowledge are key, and his colleagues do not hesitate to turn to him to resolve doubts and issues that could lead to improvements. For this reason, according to Grada3, the time chosen for Adrian Newey to collaborate on the AMR25 is during lunch or breaks. Almost every day, when he leaves his office, he goes to the factory cafeteria and chats with his colleagues who are still working on the AMR25. Thanks to these conversations, the technical team has been able to improve the car so far this season, and this will continue to be the norm until the start of the new year.
Adrian Newey and the AMR25 updates
Everything Adrian Newey does is focused on 2026. It is true that some of his designs can be adapted to the AMR25, but that is no longer his job. What he is interested in is seeing the performance. With the data from the AMR25, he can better understand how the updates perform so that they can be applied to the AMR26.
Therefore, Adrian Newey, even from the Aston Martin cafeteria, knows firsthand what is happening with the AMR25 because he is in constant communication with the team working on the current car, seeking help and learning how the adaptations he has made for 2026 are working. No big offices, no big meetings with the best technology available. Often, it’s as simple as sitting in a café, having a coffee, and talking about how to optimize resources. That’s what they do at Aston Martin, that’s what the most successful engineer in the history of the sport does.