Adrian Newey will assume the role of Aston Martin Team Principal at the start of 2026, expanding his current duties as Managing Technical Partner to take overall responsibility for the team’s technical operation, including trackside activities.
Newey joined Aston Martin on March 1, 2025 after almost two decades with Red Bull. He has already been involved in development of the 2026 car, which must comply with major new chassis and power unit regulations as the team prepares to operate as a full works outfit alongside engine partner Honda.
Andy Cowell, who served through 2025 as Team Principal and CEO and led structural changes to ready the squad for works status, will move into a new Chief Strategy Officer position. In that role Cowell will concentrate on optimising the technical partnership between the team and its key partners — Honda, fuel partner Aramco and lubricant partner Valvoline — and on ensuring the seamless integration of the team’s new power unit, fuel and chassis. He will report to executive chairman Lawrence Stroll, who will continue to oversee the team’s business functions.
Aston Martin said the leadership change is intended to align Newey and Cowell’s respective strengths and improve organisational efficiency as the team enters a new phase.
Newey said he has been impressed by the talent within the organisation over the last nine months and is looking forward to taking on the additional responsibilities required to position the team to compete strongly in 2026, a year that brings both the transition to works-team status and a demanding new set of technical regulations.
Stroll paid tribute to Cowell’s work this year, saying he had focused on building a world-class team and restoring a car-first culture. The move to a strategic role was described as a mutual decision intended to serve the team’s long-term interests.
Cowell added that, having put in place the structural changes needed for the transition to a full works operation, it was the right time to shift focus. In his new capacity he will prioritise the integration of the power unit, fuel and chassis and the optimisation of cooperation between the team and its technical partners.
Aston Martin endured a difficult 2025 season and sit eighth in the Constructors’ Championship with two race weekends remaining, but the team hopes Newey’s expanded remit and the Honda works partnership will deliver a significant performance step when the new regulations take effect in 2026.