Former Method 1 driver and Sky Sports activities analyst Martin Brundle has mentioned the primary Adrian Newey-designed Aston Martin because it took to the monitor throughout non-public testing in Barcelona.
Newey joined the Silverstone outfit as managing technical associate in 2025 and can now function group principal in 2026, that means the AMR26 is the primary Newey-designed Aston Martin beneath his full administration.
“Adrian, his vehicles are typically fairly homogeneous of their stunning, sweeping airflow to them, you typically see that. There doesn’t seem like as many bits hanging off his vehicles as you do see on some others,” Brundle advised Sky Sports activities F1.
“It’s a very arduous undercut on the sidepod, and we’ve seen totally different interpretations on sidepods, entrance wings throughout the board, unsurprisingly, with such new laws.”
The 2026 season brings in a brand new set of laws to the championship. Newey was tasked with decoding the brand new ruleset whereas additionally adjusting to a brand new group and reuniting with Honda, having beforehand labored with the producer at Crimson Bull. Brundle raised questions on whether or not the designer has the proper individuals round him and in addition pointed to potential delays in Honda’s energy unit venture.
“We’ve obtained to imagine Adrian has provide you with some good concepts, however does he know sufficient concerning the Aston Martin wind tunnel and the digital wind tunnel and can he get correlation? Has he obtained the proper individuals round him to interpret his brilliance?” the previous driver added.
“That’s a tall order straight out of the field, truly. Adrian was saying to me that Honda are having to play catch-up as a result of they had been leaving after which they got here again in. So there’s some query marks there.
Adrian Newey, Managing Technical Accomplice of Aston Martin F1 Workforce
Photograph by: Jayce Illman / Getty Photographs
“We’ll have to attend and see, however you simply know Adrian can have a imaginative and prescient of the best way to maximise these laws. Let’s hope he’s accomplished it and let’s hope that automobile simply flies.
“He’s additionally legendary for not eager to signal issues off, so when the automobile was late, it didn’t shock me in any respect, to be trustworthy, as a result of Adrian will push that, and he at all times has accomplished, to absolutely the restrict as a result of he desires the utmost time of improvement on these items and understanding.
“He doesn’t have that management operate of a Christian Horner, or a Patrick Head, or no matter as of late. He’s accountable for all of that, but when it completely takes off, then as ever, you’ll be able to say he obtained it completely proper. He’s waited till the final minute earlier than having to commit.
“We’ll see – we don’t know – however I’m going to imagine that automobile can be fairly helpful by way of the 12 months.”
We would like your opinion!
What would you wish to see on Motorsport.com?
– The Motorsport.com Workforce
