- Aston Martin faces leadership fight with poor results, car trouble and power struggles.
- Newey’s future has become an issue as team weighs how to use its big technical hire.
- Horner and Wheatley have both entered the picture as Lawrence Stroll searches for a fix.
Aston Martin F1 is in a deep crisis after two race weekends in 2026. The Silverstone team faces a car problem, a power unit problem and a leadership problem at the same time.
The key issue is this: Aston Martin no longer looks sure who should lead the team. Newey, the design great turned team principal, is said to want out of the top job.
BBC insider Andrew Benson, as reported by GPFans, said Christian Horner met Lawrence Stroll this week about the role. But Newey is said to have blocked a move for his former boss.
That has left Jonathan Wheatley as the main name in play. Audi said Friday that Wheatley had left for personal reasons. That has fueled the rumours that Aston Martin could now turn to him as the man to run the team while Newey returns to design work.
Background: A team in crisis
Aston Martin entered 2026 with high hopes. The team had Newey, a Honda works partnership and a fresh rules cycle. Those three factors gave the Silverstone outfit reason to think it could fight near the front.
That hope, however, has faded fast. After the first two race weekends, neither Fernando Alonso nor Lance Stroll had finished a full grand prix. The team even said it used the Australian Grand Prix just as an extra test session.
China then brought more trouble. Alonso retired on lap 33 after severe vibrations. Stroll lasted even fewer laps.
The power unit issue appears serious. Aston Martin’s new Honda package is said to lack electrical deployment. It also causes heavy vibrations.
Those vibrations have become the biggest worry. In fact, they were so bad that Alonso took both hands off the steering wheel on several occasions during last weekend’s race to seek relief. The vibrations are so intense that both drivers are at risk of severe nerve damage.
Newey’s uncomfortable dual role
In late November 2025, Aston Martin F1 promoted Newey to team principal while Andy Cowell was moved to a liaison role with Honda.
Newey is widely regarded as the greatest car designer in Formula 1 history. His designs have helped win 26 world championships. But leading a team is a different task entirely.
Sources close to the Silverstone factory say the experiment is not working. Spanish F1 journalist Antonio Lobato described the atmosphere inside the team as tense, disappointed and nervous. He pointed to a clear absence of leadership.
Critics say Newey’s oratory is monotone and uninspiring. His drive for technical perfection also caused a problem. The team missed the Barcelona shakedown in January because of it.
Newey is now reportedly considering stepping back from the team principal role. He wants to return to car design full-time.
The Horner meeting and the veto
With a leadership gap impossible to ignore, attention has now turned to Christian Horner, who is looking to find his way back into the sport.
Horner was sacked by Red Bull last July after 20 years as team principal. Aston Martin had often been linked with him since. This week, he reportedly met with Lawrence Stroll to discuss the vacancy.
But according to BBC Sport, Newey said no.
The two men are understood to have repaired their relationship since both left Red Bull. Even so, Newey is reportedly not ready to work with Horner again. Given the bitter behind-the-scenes politics that preceded Newey’s exit from Red Bull, the veto is not surprising.
Horner himself has also suggested that simply returning as a team principal may not be his first choice. He has spoken publicly about wanting a bigger role in any future team.
With Horner off the table, Jonethan Wheatley moved to the front of the queue. Audi confirmed his departure on Friday in an official statement. The move would bring him back to the United Kingdom from Audi’s base in Switzerland. It would also end reported friction between him and his colleague and successor Mattia Binotto.
Stroll believes hiring Wheatley would free Newey to focus entirely on the AMR26. Alonso has already said the car itself could be competitive if not for the power unit problems. That suggests Newey’s technical work on the chassis has not been wasted.
The task now for Stroll is clear. Find a leader who can steady the team. Give Newey the space to do what he does best.
