- Former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner had been linked with role
- Newey became managing technical partner of Aston Martin in September 2024
- Owner Lawrence Stroll says changes will ensure team is “best placed to play to their collective strengths”
Adrian Newey will become the Aston Martin Formula One team principal from next season, with Andy Cowell transitioning to the role of chief strategy officer.
Newey, widely considered the greatest technical mastermind of his generation, committed his long-term future to Aston Martin in September 2024 after his departure from Red Bull sparked a bidding war for his services.
Pressure has built on current team principal and chief executive Cowell amid a disappointing season and reported disagreements with managing technical partner Newey.
After speculation linking former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner with the Silverstone-based team resurfaced, Aston Martin announced on Wednesday evening that 66-year-old Newey will step up to take charge of trackside operations from 2026.
Cowell will take on a new role as chief strategy officer, where he will focus on the technical partnership between the team, Honda, Aramco and Valvoline.
Newey said: “Over the last nine months, I have seen great individual talent within our team.
“I’m looking forward to taking on this additional role as we put ourselves in the best possible position to compete in 2026, where we will face an entirely new position with Aston Martin now a works team combined with the considerable challenge faced by the new regulations.
“Andy’s new role, focusing on the integration of the new PU with our three key partners, will be pivotal in this journey.”
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Newey has played a significant role in 13 drivers’ world championships and a dozen constructors’ titles with three different teams but has never previously held the role of team principal.
He ended a near two-decade association with Red Bull before committing to Aston Martin – where he is also a shareholder – in a major coup for ambitious billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll.
Aston Martin are currently a disappointing eighth in the constructors’ standings with two races to go but Stroll believes these changes will put the team in the best place ahead of the major new regulations which will be introduced next season.
Stroll added: “Andy Cowell has been a great leader this year. He’s focused on building a world-class team and getting them to work well together, as well as fostering a culture that puts the race car back at the heart of what we do.
“I’m also pleased that Adrian Newey will step into the team principal role, which will enable him to make full use of his creative and technical expertise. Both of these changes will ensure the team is best placed to play to their collective strengths.”
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