Aston Martin co-owner Lawrence Stroll has addressed reports Adrian Newey will no longer be team principal.
Sky Sports News understands Aston Martin are interested in hiring former Audi boss Jonathan Wheatley as team principal so Newey can prioritise car development in his role as Managing Technical Partner.
Wheatley left Audi on Friday with immediate effect, with the team citing “personal reasons”, while Newey has been Aston Martin team principal since the start of 2026.
“As Executive Chairman and Controlling Shareholder, I would like to reaffirm that Adrian Newey is my partner and an important shareholder,” said Aston Martin owner Stroll in a rare public statement.
“He is AMR’s Managing Technical Partner, and he and I have a true partnership built on a shared vision of success for the company.
“We do things differently here, and while we don’t currently adopt the traditional Team Principal role that you see elsewhere – it is by design.”
It has been a nightmare start to the season for Aston Martin with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are yet to see the chequered flag at the opening two F1 races. Alonso revealed he was unable to finish the last race in China due to severe vibrations from the Honda engine.
Should Aston Martin hire a new team principal, it would free up F1’s most successful designer to focus entirely on car matters but Stroll did not make any suggestions the team are looking for a new team boss.
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Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso react to Adrian Newey’s fears that Aston Martin’s vibration issues could cause ‘permanent nerve damage’.
“As the most successful engineer in the history of the sport, Adrian’s primary focus is on the strategic and technical leadership where he excels,” he continued.
“He is supported by a highly skilled Senior Leadership Team to deliver on all aspects of the business, both at the Campus and trackside.
“We are regularly approached by senior executives of other teams who wish to join Aston Martin Aramco, but in keeping with our policy, we do not comment on rumour and speculation.”
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