Signs of strain are emerging in the nascent partnership between Adrian Newey and Aston Martin, as the team grapples with its dismal 2025 Formula 1 campaign.
The Silverstone-based outfit's 2025 car has performed so poorly that Spanish journalist Carlos Miguel proposed a drastic measure in Marca sports newspaper. "I'm starting to think that resurrecting the 2024 car might be the best solution," he wrote, reflecting the team's desperate situation.
Following the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, key technical personnel hurried back to Aston Martin's state-of-the-art Silverstone 'campus' for what has been described as an emergency meeting.
Notably, Adrian Newey, the team's high-profile technical recruit, was reportedly absent.
Team principal Andy Cowell had previously outlined Newey's singular focus, stating at Jeddah: "He doesn't go to meetings, he doesn't answer emails, he's just preparing a fast car. And we all support that process."
Similarly, Fernando Alonso suggested that Newey alone decides whether to address the 2025 car's shortcomings or remain dedicated to the 2026 project. "I feel sorry for Fernando," said team ambassador Pedro de la Rosa, a long-time friend and colleague of Alonso, speaking to DAZN.
"But right now we can't give him anything better. I'm suffering too, especially as I have no influence on the car's performance. I'm not a test driver anymore. I can't intervene, and it's painful. Let no one think we're taking it as a joke. I haven't been able to sleep for several days because I don't like seeing where we are."
Newey, who joined Aston Martin in early March after concluding his 'gardening leave' from Red Bull, is said to be steadfast in his refusal to divert attention from the 2026 car to salvage the underperforming 2025 model.
This stance has reportedly created friction with team owner Lawrence Stroll. Former Red Bull driver Robert Doornbos, present at Jeddah, commented on the strained atmosphere surrounding Stroll.
"Lawrence Stroll has a huge aura around him, but it's not so nice to be around him at the moment," he told Ziggo Sport. "The story is going around now that he's furious that Adrian Newey doesn't want to get involved with the 2025 car."
Doornbos also alluded to external pressures on Stroll, noting rumours that the billionaire is in discussions to sell the team to Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, potentially at a reduced valuation due to Aston Martin's lacklustre performance.
"There are talks going on about that," Doornbos claimed. "Newey is saying 'I'm only working on 2026', while Stroll is thinking 'I already pay you 33 million a year!' I'm noticing that there is a lot of friction there."
Doornbos suggested that Newey might even see strategic benefits in Aston Martin's current struggles, given the lack of design continuity between the 2025 and 2026 cars.
"There is also a bit of strategy in it," he confirmed. "Newey won't mind if Aston Martin finishes second-to-last in the constructors, because then he will get a lot more time in the wind tunnel."
