- Aston Martin has failed to finish a race in 2026 so far
- Severe car issues and Honda power unit problems.
- Newey is leading the search for a new team principal.
- Multiple high-profile candidates have been approached.
Inside the Aston Martin garage, the mood has shifted fast. Just two race weekends into the 2026 Formula 1 season, the team is already searching for a new leader.
According to reports from PlanetF1 and The Race, Adrian Newey, the current team principal, is leading the effort to find his own replacement as results collapse on track.
The crisis has unfolded across Australia and China. The AMR26 has shown poor pace, frequent failures and serious vibration issues emerging from the Honda Power Unit. Drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll have not finished a single race, and the team has yet to complete a full race distance this season.
A season start from hell
The trouble began way before the season kicked off in Melbourne. During pre-season testing in Bahrain, Honda used most of its spare engine parts. By the time the team arrived in Australia, it faced a shortage so severe that Honda even considered running within the 107% rule and retiring early to save components.
On track, the problems became visible at once. Both cars ran at the back in Melbourne and Shanghai. Reliability issues forced retirements in Australia, while neither car reached the finish in China.
The most alarming issue is vibration. The car shakes so much that drivers struggle to stay in control. During the Chinese Grand Prix, Alonso repeatedly lifted his hands off the wheel on straights.
After the race, Alonso said he began losing feeling in his hands and feet and could not continue. Stroll had already compared the sensation to being electrocuted. These are not minor complaints. They point to a deep design flaw that affects both safety and performance.
The situation grew worse behind the scenes. The team arrived in Australia with just two working batteries. In China, both drivers lost track time due to ongoing failures. Each session brought new setbacks.
Newey’s difficult position
When Aston Martin hired Adrian Newey, it made headlines. He joined as managing technical partner and later became team principal in November 2025. The move raised questions from the start.
Newey built his name as a designer, not a manager. He now had to lead the whole team while also shaping the car. That dual role has not worked so far.
As reported by GPFans, Spanish journalist Antonio Lobato, speaking on a SoyMotor livestream, said Newey is not acting as a true team principal. He described a lack of clear leadership and said the team is already looking for someone else to take charge.
Signs of strain appeared early. During testing and the opening race weekend, Newey looked uneasy in public settings. Reports also suggest the team nearly missed its Barcelona shakedown in January due to delays, with the car only ready late in the test.
Inside the team, doubts have grown. Reports indicate owner Lawrence Stroll now regrets the decision. The expectation is that Newey will step back from management and return to a purely technical role.
The search for a new team principal
The search for a replacement has been active for months. According to PlanetF1, Newey himself has helped lead that process, even before he formally took over the role.
Several senior figures have been approached. These include former Aston Martin Group CEO Martin Whitmarsh and Red Bull race engineer GianPiero Lambiase. High-level sources told The Race that Aston Martin held talks with Lambiase about a senior leadership role.
Lambiase declined the offer and chose to stay with Red Bull. His decision removes one of the strongest candidates from the list.
Other names include Audi team principal Jonathan Wheatley and his predecessor Mattia Binotto. The leading candidate is reported to be former McLaren boss Andreas Seidl. Former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is seen as an outside option.
The range of candidates shows the scale of the rebuild Aston Martin is considering. The team is not just replacing a person. It is trying to reset its structure.
Can Newey still save the Aston Martin project?
Despite the turmoil, Newey’s technical skill remains valuable. Alonso has said the car itself may not be the main issue. He pointed to the Honda power unit as the bigger problem, suggesting the chassis has potential.
That view shapes the team’s next step. The plan is to remove Newey from daily management and let him focus on design. Aston Martin believes that is where he can make the biggest impact.
At the track, chief trackside officer Mike Krack has taken on a larger role. He previously served as team principal from 2022 to 2024. The team confirmed Newey will split his time between race weekends and the Silverstone factory.
Krack has also addressed the vibration issue. He said it mainly affects reliability, not outright speed. Even so, the effect on drivers and race results tells a different story.
Honda is now working to fix the problem before the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. The timeline is tight. The damage from the first two races has already put Aston Martin far behind.
The team still has strong backing, modern facilities and one of the sport’s top engineers. But Formula 1 demands more than parts and plans. It needs clear direction and steady leadership.
Right now, Aston Martin lacks both. And as the season moves on, the search for the right leader has become as urgent as fixing the car itself.
