- Reports suggest Lawrence Stroll views Adrian Newey’s appointment as a mistake.
- Christian Horner is reportedly in discussions to take over as Aston team principal.
- Adrian Newey has struggled with the political and media demands of leadership.
Lawrence Stroll is actively looking for a new Aston Martin team principal to replace Adrian Newey, according to multiple reports, with former Red Bull boss Christian Horner said to be in discussions for the role.
Spanish journalist Antonio Lobato, speaking on a SoyMotor livestream, said there is a “lack of leadership” at Aston Martin and that the team is searching for a replacement with immediate effect.
Lobato said Newey does not function as team principal and, in his view, should not be expected to. Reports from F1 Oversteer and GPFans corroborated the claim that Stroll has privately accepted the November 2025 appointment was a mistake.
Newey is widely regarded as one of the greatest car designers in F1 history. But the team principal job at Aston Martin now demands someone who can handle FIA and FOM politics, face the media, and manage a strained relationship with engine partner Honda.
According to reports, Newey has largely avoided public-facing duties, with ambassador Pedro de la Rosa and chief trackside officer Mike Krack filling the gap.
Double DNF nightmares
The pressure has been compounded by a difficult start to 2026. Aston Martin suffered double DNFs at both the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix, with the Honda power unit at the centre of the team’s reliability and performance problems.
Reports from China suggest the Honda engine is losing 1.5 to 2.0 seconds on straights alone, with qualifying power limited to around 75% and race power at roughly 50%. Both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll have reported severe vibrations from the power unit.
Newey publicly criticised Honda after Melbourne, saying the manufacturer had not been transparent about the state of its F1 programme when the partnership was agreed. Former F1 engineer Gary Anderson said that criticism would have “soured” the relationship with Honda’s engineers at Sakura.
Alonso has indicated it could take three or four months for Aston Martin to move away from the bottom of the grid, and the team has internally reframed 2026 as a “test year.”
Horner’s return to F1
Horner, who left Red Bull after a 20-year tenure that yielded eight drivers’ titles and six constructors’ championships, has been linked with several return routes to the grid.
He has said he wants to come back as a “partner, rather than a hired hand.” He has also been connected with a potential stake in the Alpine F1 Team, though that deal faces opposition from Toto Wolff and Mercedes.
With the Alpine path potentially blocked, Stroll has reportedly resumed conversations.
Neither Aston Martin nor Horner has publicly commented on the reports.
