Adrian Newey Steps Down as Aston Martin Team Principal as Shock Replacement Announced

Aston Martin's 2026 has not gone to plan.

Testing struggles turned into worries over whether the team could even compete at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, and their relationship with engine manufacturers Honda seems to be a complicated one so far, despite some positives.

But with visionary Formula One engineer Adrian Newey at the helm, it was thought that the ship would eventually correct itself and that the long-term prospects would bear fruit. Now, it seems the team is going a different route.

Audi boss Johnathan Wheatley steps in as new team principal at Aston Martin

Motorsport Italia reports that Audi's Johnathan Wheatley will be the man to replace Newey at Aston Martin as team principal, after having only joined the German team in May of last year alongside chief executive Mattia Binotto, previously of Ferrari.

The details of when this move will occur are currently unknown, but it is likely that Newey will return to working on the car's engineering only—the same role he had when he initially joined the team.

Inter-team moves do not happen like this often in F1, and it is of note that Audi and Aston Martin have different engine suppliers and no known close relationship.

Ferrari’s appointment of Fred Vasseur in 2022 and Laurent Mekies’ move from Racing Bulls to sister team Red Bull in 2025 were both facilitated by existing relationships between the teams—Ferrari supplied engines to Sauber, and Red Bull often moves personnel between its sister outfits, whether drivers or staff.

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin, Australian GP 2026 | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team

One factor that could be a reason for Wheatley's move is that he and Newey forged a bond during the two decades that the duo spent at Red Bull before both went their separate ways.

It is a complicated time to pick up such a role at a team in the position that Aston Martin find theirselves in, with rumors floating that Wheatley may enjoy more responsibilities as his new team's boss, given that sharing a space with CEO Mattia Binotto at Audi was assumed to have limited his capabilities of what he can and cannot do.

One of the most important things for Wheatley to do now is to ensure that the team is able to get back on track, as well as making sure that both Fernando Alonso—who has not been afraid to voice discontent—and Lance Stroll are both happy with where the team's direction is headed.