Adrian Newey has already done something Christian Horner never did in 20 years at Red Bull

Follow us on Google Discover

There’s no sign of Adrian Newey at the Chinese Grand Prix as Aston Martin’s bleak start to the 2026 Formula 1 season continues.

Both Aston Martin cars were able to take part in Sprint qualifying on Friday, which was at least an improvement from Melbourne. But Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll could only manage 19th and 20th.

Valtteri Bottas in the Cadillac was the sole car behind them, with teammate Sergio Perez ruled out of the session. Alonso was a second shy of the time he needed to reach SQ2 and 2.5 seconds off the overall pace set by George Russell.

Carlos Sainz is out in SQ1 during Sprint Qualifying in China!

What can Sainz achieve in the F1 Sprint in Shanghai?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Adrian Newey misses the Chinese Grand Prix amid Aston Martin plight

As reported by The Times on Thursday, Newey is not present in Shanghai and is instead working remotely. He had always planned not to travel to the race.

But the decision once again underlines his ‘unique approach’ to his role, with an F1 team principal normally ‘ever-present’. Christian Horner, his long-time colleague, never missed a race in his 20 years at Red Bull.

Higher or lower: Aston Martin will complete 20 laps in the Chinese Grand Prix before their first retirement

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Aston Martin’s trackside engineering director Mike Krack will be the main spokesperson instead. While he held a press conference in Australia, Newey prefers to avoid media duties where possible.

Newey’s attendance became increasingly selective in his final years at Red Bull, and it’s unclear how many more races he will choose to skip in 2026. The team have placed the onus on Honda to lift them out of their crisis, but the designer will still be working on chassis improvements.

Adrian Newey is not a team principal – and he may never be

Aston Martin desperately need leadership at the moment, and it’s unclear if Newey can provide that. It almost goes without saying that he is one of the greatest engineers the sport has ever seen, but that doesn’t automatically make him a good team principal.

Newey may not have joined Aston Martin with this role in mind, but he agreed to take it on after an internal power struggle with Andy Cowell. And yet, he doesn’t seem inclined to accept the responsibility that comes with the position.

Aston Martin continue to be linked with Horner and it may be that yet another restructure is necessary. It feels as if the current arrangement suits nobody.