Aston Martin team principal Andy Cowell told the F1 website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\u201cHe packages 10 things into the space where only one would normally fit, and all the engineers see that as a challenge. It\u2019s not just the engineers, it\u2019s the whole group of people within the aerodynamics development area.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pace with which we\u2019re creating changes on the 2026 wind tunnel model is quicker than we\u2019ve ever done before. It really is very impressive. It is like watching 100 people all run 100 metres in sub 10 seconds with perfect baton passes.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very exciting to see, and all of that is enabled by having the facilities and the people and the methods.\u201d<\/p>\n
Newey is part of a dying breed in Formula 1 of designers who have an especially broad understanding of how a car works owing to his tenure in the sport. Technical departments were much smaller in his early days, requiring him to be across more of the car and how it works.<\/p>\n
It makes him particularly valuable, and Aston Martin is thriving on his input<\/p>\n
\u201cAdrian is an amazing individual,\u201d Cowell continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s got great experience, but the thing he loves is being at the drawing board thinking about the design of a racing car.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd it\u2019s not just one part on the racing car, it\u2019s the whole system.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince March he\u2019s spent hour after hour after hour at his drawing board just thinking about suspension concepts, the monocoque, where to put the engine, how to position the driver \u2014 all those detailed architectural aspects of the race car.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s creative and adventurous and he pushes the boundaries \u2014 and so everybody\u2019s got less volume to fit more components in, and that inspires the engineers. They look at it initially and go, \u2018How am I going to do that?\u2019. But they are finding ways, and Adrian helps with that.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe doesn\u2019t just give a problem; he helps giving detailed solutions as well, and the whole supply chain in there in the factory is enjoying working on that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ahead of arguably the biggest rule changes in Formula 1 history, it\u2019s a crucial gain for Aston Martin \u2014 and a painful loss for Red Bull Racing.<\/p>\n
Marquez makes it five wins on the bounce | 00:55<\/p>\n
IMPROVEMENTS ALREADY IN 2025<\/p>\n
Work on the 2026 car commenced in January, but Newey wasn\u2019t able to start at Silverstone until March owing to the non-compete clause in his Red Bull Racing contract.<\/p>\n
The 2026 car was therefore his priority, the team keen to maximise his value where it might be most keenly felt.<\/p>\n
But Newey is having a broader effect than just on the 2026 design.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had a couple of lunches together generally [focused on] things about the team, about the simulator, how to make things a little bit more realistic,\u201d Alonso said, per the F1 website \u201cHe has a lot of experience [of] how a top team should fight for championships and try to be on top of the game in every area.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not only the aerodynamics. When we think about Adrian it is all aero performance; I think Adrian has a much wider view of how the team should operate, so we all learn from him every time that we speak with him.\u201d<\/p>\n
So it\u2019s perhaps unsurprising to see Aston Martin get an almost immediate lift in performance with Newey in the mix.<\/p>\n
Aston Martin started the season in uncompetitive form as the eighth fastest car on average, though in three of the first six rounds it was only ninth fastest, and at one weekend \u2014 in Miami \u2014 it was the outright slowest car based on qualifying pace.<\/p>\n
Average gap to pole, season to date<\/p>\n
1. McLaren: 0.034 seconds<\/p>\n
2. Red Bull Racing: 0.268 seconds<\/p>\n
3. Mercedes: 0.345 seconds<\/p>\n
4. Ferrari: 0.444 seconds<\/p>\n
5. Williams: 0.791 seconds<\/p>\n
6. Racing Bulls: 0.843 seconds<\/p>\n
7. Alpine: 0.969 seconds<\/p>\n
8. Aston Martin: 1.031 seconds<\/p>\n
9. Haas: 1.211 seconds<\/p>\n
10. Sauber: 1.401 seconds<\/p>\n
Feeney storms to tenth win of the season | 01:30<\/p>\n
But an upgrade brought to the first European round of the season, the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, has dramatically improved the team\u2019s fortunes.<\/p>\n
That weekend was its most competitive by pure pace up to that point, the car clocking in as the fifth fastest.<\/p>\n
But the trend only improved from there. It headed the midfield again in Canada, and it was the closest it\u2019s been to pole all season last time out in Silverstone.<\/p>\n
Its gap to pole has shrunk considerably in the last six races, moving it to the head of the midfield.<\/p>\n
Average gap to pole, rounds 6 to 12<\/p>\n
1. McLaren: 0.054 seconds<\/p>\n
2. Red Bull Racing: 0.346 seconds<\/p>\n
3. Ferrari: 0.480 seconds<\/p>\n
4. Mercedes: 0.487 seconds<\/p>\n
5. Aston Martin: 0.836 seconds<\/p>\n
6. Racing Bulls: 0.902 seconds<\/p>\n
7. Williams: 0.903 seconds<\/p>\n
8. Alpine: 1.078 seconds<\/p>\n
9. Haas: 1.193 seconds<\/p>\n
10. Sauber: 1.359 seconds<\/p>\n
The championship table demonstrates as much. The team has scored 22 of its total 36 points since applying the upgrade.<\/p>\n
\u201cLunchtime conversations [with Newey] have not just included what he\u2019s eating or what he\u2019s been doing at the weekend,\u201d Cowell said earlier this year, per RacingNew365. \u201cThey have included conversations about the 2025 car and what might be the issues.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs he has been working on the 2026 car, he gets to see the tools that we\u2019ve got, specifically the CFD, the wind tunnel and the whole journey of information from drawing board to wind tunnel results.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith that we learn about what are strengths are, what our weaknesses are and then how we maintain our strengths and improve our weaknesses.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019ll see the way we operate in a race weekend environment, the way we optimise the car. Having his experience and insight, he\u2019ll be looking to see what is going well and what is not.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt just helps with our jobs and lists of what to work on to become a stronger team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Newey\u2019s arrival is well timed beyond simply being in place for next year\u2019s regulations.<\/p>\n
Aston Martin has only recently cut the ribbon on its new factory, including its state-of-the-art wind tunnel and other design machinery.<\/p>\n
This sort of infrastructure doesn\u2019t simply start pumping out more performant parts; it must be calibrated, and the team must come up with policies and techniques that make the most of them and to ensure correlation with real life.<\/p>\n
Cowell suggested Newey and has been able to bring new perspectives to that process, which has had a positive effect on this year\u2019s car.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is \u2026 pushing for us to improve the way we operate in the tunnel, the way we operate with CFD, the way we operate with lap simulations \u2014 so pretty much everything Adrian\u2019s got thoughts on how to improve,\u201d he said, per The Race.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd that\u2019s the great thing of Adrian\u2019s competitive drive \u2014 and he balances it up very well in terms of, \u2018That bit\u2019s fine, it\u2019s this bit we need to work on\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
We can see the improvements in the development rate, which is calculated by drawing a line of best fit through Aston Martin\u2019s average gap to pole position through the season to date.<\/p>\n
Development rate<\/p>\n
1. Aston Martin: improved by 0.295 seconds<\/p>\n
2. Haas: improved by 0.177 seconds<\/p>\n
3. Sauber: degraded by 0.028 seconds<\/p>\n
4. Ferrari: degraded by 0.119 seconds<\/p>\n
5. McLaren: degraded by 0.125 seconds<\/p>\n
6. Red Bull Racing: degraded by 0.315 seconds<\/p>\n
7. Mercedes: degraded by 0.392 seconds<\/p>\n
8. Alpine: degraded by 0.407 seconds<\/p>\n
9. Racing Bulls: degraded by 0.619 seconds<\/p>\n
10. Williams: degraded by 0.696 seconds<\/p>\n
With a big upgrade due at this weekend\u2019s Belgian Grand Prix, these numbers could yet improve further.<\/p>\n
Red Bull sack Horner as team pricipal | 00:50<\/p>\n
ASTON MARTIN\u2019S BIG 2026 BET<\/p>\n
Newey, then, has already had a hand in transforming Aston Martin\u2019s outlook. A story of seemingly unending decline, with update after update having no effect on performance, has been halted and reversed. Things are looking positive again.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s just in time for 2026, with the team having long targeted the regulation changes as a catalyst to vault it back among the frontrunners, this time sustainably.<\/p>\n
The Aston Martin team has already gone through significant change, moving to a new factory and welcoming myriad new staff to Silverstone.<\/p>\n
Next year it will take the considerable step of becoming the Honda works team, switching away from Mercedes power.<\/p>\n
While the Honda partnership was sealed in 2023, having Newey at the head of the technical department will only strengthen that relationship, the Englishman having worked with the Japanese brand since 2019.<\/p>\n
The deal theoretically improves Aston Martin\u2019s prospects. While McLaren proved last year and is proving again this year that engine customers can win titles, the advantage of having an in-house power unit tends to be most significant at the start of a regulatory era.<\/p>\n
Cars and engines can be designed in tandem to ensure both sides can get the most from themselves. The team can make requests of the engine manufacturer and vice versa to ensure a perfect fit.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s more pressure too, though. Honda is supplying only Aston Martin, meaning it will gather far less data on the performance of its new motor than other brands that supply several teams.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a transformation going from a customer team to a works team at the same time as all the regulation changes and the new factory and all the new equipment,\u201d Cowell told the F1 website. \u201cIt\u2019s a huge transformation for everybody in our team.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I\u2019m really impressed with the enthusiasm that everybody\u2019s got.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody\u2019s open-minded to making changes in the way we work in responsibilities and so on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Combined with having two-time champion Alonso in the cockpit for at least one more season, Aston Martin has never had more of the right pieces in the right places.<\/p>\n
And the biggest pieces, its biggest gain, comes directly at Red Bull Racing\u2019s expense.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you\u2019re looking for optimism at Aston Martin, you won\u2019t find it in the headline results. The big-spending…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14774,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[573],"tags":[2074,16178,16202,2620,5118,2095,16188,64,63,16196,16197,2065,16173,16186,1199,16204,2055,16210,16185,16190,2075,16189,16208,16175,16176,16177,16179,16214,16195,1208,2057,16219,817,845,2755,813,816,16199,16200,16215,16183,16174,16201,16216,4280,825,5140,16181,2099,2041,2067,3583,16206,2119,16213,16212,16180,16194,16182,16217,16193,16205,2078,2109,2113,16207,85,16218,16191,16184,14221,13773,16203,16187,16209,2614,16192,16211,16198],"class_list":["post-14773","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-formula-1","tag-adrian-newey","tag-aero-performance","tag-aerodynamics-development-area","tag-agence-france-presse","tag-alex","tag-america","tag-andy-cowell","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-average-gap","tag-baton-passes","tag-canada","tag-car-clocking","tag-car-works","tag-christian-horner","tag-communication-lines","tag-constructors-championship","tag-constructors-titles","tag-customer-team","tag-design-machinery","tag-design-office","tag-development-rate","tag-drawing-board","tag-drawing-board-thinking","tag-drivers-championships","tag-drivers-title","tag-drought-breaking-constructors-title","tag-engine-customers","tag-engine-manufacturer","tag-england","tag-europe","tag-european-round","tag-f1","tag-fernando-alonso","tag-florida","tag-formula-1","tag-formula1","tag-headline-results","tag-honda-motor-company","tag-in-house-power-unit","tag-japanese-brand","tag-lap-simulations","tag-ltd","tag-lunchtime-conversations","tag-marc-marquez","tag-max-verstappen","tag-miami","tag-minority-shareholding","tag-nears-crunch-point","tag-north-america","tag-northern-america","tag-northern-europe","tag-performant-parts","tag-pit-talk","tag-positive-effect","tag-positive-impact","tag-race-car","tag-race-weekend-environment","tag-racing-car","tag-real-life","tag-regulation-changes","tag-rule-changes","tag-season-nears-crunch","tag-silly-season","tag-silly-season-nears","tag-sleeping-giant","tag-sports","tag-state-of-the-art-wind-tunnel","tag-supply-chain","tag-suspension-concepts","tag-team-pricipalformula","tag-team-principal","tag-technical-department","tag-title-double","tag-tunnel-results","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-wind-tunnel","tag-wind-tunnel-model","tag-works-team"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14773","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14773"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14773\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14774"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14773"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14773"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14773"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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