Adrian Newey has revealed that he has been working “pretty much flat out” since joining Aston Martin on the eve of the F1 2025 season.
It comes after the F1 design guru was once again spotted inspecting the championship-leading McLaren MCL39 on the grid at the recent British Grand Prix.
Adrian Newey spotted studying McLaren MCL39 at British Grand Prix
Newey stands as the most decorated individual in F1 history with involvement in more than 200 race wins and a combined 26 Drivers’ and Constructors’ championship titles for the likes of Williams, McLaren and Red Bull.
The 66-year-old joined Aston Martin in the newly created role of managing technical partner in March, less than a fortnight before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
Newey is leading development of Aston Martin’s first car under the new rules for F1 2026, working in collaboration with incoming engine supplier Honda and team partners Aramco and Valvoline.
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The former Red Bull man made his first trackside appearance with Aston Martin at the Monaco Grand Prix in May, with PlanetF1.com’s on-the-ground reporter Thomas Maher spotting Newey taking a close look at the McLaren of Oscar Piastri.
Newey was also pictured by PlanetF1.com checking out the dominant MCL39 during a visit to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, close to Aston Martin’s new state-of-the-art factory, earlier this month.
Adrian Newey studies the McLaren MCL39 on the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix grid (Image: Thomas Maher, PlanetF1.com)
Adrian Newey checks out the McLaren at Silverstone (Image: Thomas Maher, PlanetF1.com)
Newey made his latest public appearance at last weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed event, where he donned a set of Aston Martin F1 race overalls as he took to the wheel of historic Formula 1 machinery.
And the veteran designer has revealed that he has barely paused for breath since starting work with his new employer.
According to German outlet F1-Insider, he said: “I had a weekend off recently.
“But apart from that, it’s been pretty much flat out all the way.
“When I enter such a phase of intense concentration, I barely notice anything to the left or right.
“All my computing power is channeled toward one goal: designing a fast racing car.”
“You’re practically always playing catch-up. Until March, little had been done here for 2026.
“A little, of course, but we’ve had a huge amount of work to do since then.”
Newey revealed that his current area of focus is on the fundamental elements of Aston Martin’s 2026 car, expected to be named the AMR26, which cannot be changed over the course of a season.
He said: “These are the layout of the front and rear suspension, the fuel tank size and the wheelbase.
“On the one hand, we don’t have enough time. And on the other, our simulation tools may be a bit weak.
“So we have to try to make the best possible assessments.
“If necessary, the body and wings can be adjusted [with upgrades] during the season.”
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Aston Martin is widely expected to emerge as a title-contending force in the coming years, with the arrival of Newey considered a major coup for the team.
Newey has likened his Aston Martin arrival to the moment he joined McLaren on the eve of a major rule change in 1997.
After finishing a distant fourth in the 1997 Constructors’ standings, McLaren were catapulted to title success with Mika Hakkinen in 1998 as Newey made an immediate impact.
Newey said: “When I started at McLaren in 1997, it was also the year before a major rule change.
“The pressure was already high back then. Today it’s even greater because the cars have become more complex and development times have increased.
“When I first saw the rules, my initial reaction was: ‘Oh dear, that doesn’t leave much room for manoeuvre!’
“But when you delve into the details, you do see a certain amount of flexibility [in design].”
“But as always in Formula 1, after three or four years, the teams will converge.”
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