Where is Adrian Newey? It’s the big question many fans have been asking after the latest Formula 1 races. The Aston Martin team principal hasn’t been traveling to races since Australia, the opening round. Aston Martin states that Newey’s absence is part of a pre-arranged calendar plan.
The hysteria over Newey’s disappearance reached such a fever pitch that some British outlets dared to claim that the British guru had been admitted to a hospital. Aston Martin has had to deny it. The truth is that Newey is focused on evolving the car at the factory and Aston Martin is eagerly awaiting the addition of Jonathan Wheatley.
Adrian Newey is Improving the Aston Martin at the Factory
No, Adrian Newey is not hospitalized or parked away from the Aston Martin team. These are the wildest rumors that have surfaced in the English Daily Mail after the boss of Fernando Alonso has been absent for the last three Formula 1 races, those in China, Japan and Miami. He also won’t be in Canada, but it’s not related to illness or bad vibes.
According to Aston Martin, Newey’s absences were perfectly scheduled in the team’s calendar. The English engineer is focused on improving the car at the factory, and in practice it is Mike Krack, who was Aston Martin’s team principal between 2022 and 2024, who resumes that role on the circuits when Newey is not present.
Newey took on the role of Aston Martin’s team principal toward the end of 2025, when mysteriously Andy Cowell was sidelined from the team. It later emerged that this was due to his scant oversight of the Honda engine development. But the situation has become so tangled that Newey himself is no longer able to oversee everything.
All signs point to Newey having encountered more workload than expected because the AMR26 has so many issues that it requires a lot of factory work. Thus the British guru is more focused on solving what is happening at Silverstone. Presumably, Newey will return to the tracks starting at Monaco, during the European tour.
Aston Martin Expects to Hire Newey’s Replacement After the Summer
The solution to all these problems has a proper name: Jonathan Wheatley. Aston Martin has already signed the former Audi team principal to replace Newey in his duties. The issue is that for now Audi is keeping him, and it is not yet known with certainty when he will be able to join Aston Martin.
Latest reports suggest that Aston Martin and Audi may have reached an agreement for the German marque to release Wheatley after the summer, allowing him to begin serving as Aston Martin’s team principal at the Dutch Grand Prix. It would be the workload relief Adrian Newey so badly needs.
Images | Formula 1
