Adrian Newey told he has a ‘major advantage’ that he can ‘exploit’ with Aston Martin in 2026

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Adrian Newey is hoping to continue his incredible track record in Formula 1 with Aston Martin, as he looks to build the team up the grid in 2026.

The legendary engineer joined the Silverstone outfit in the second quarter of 2025 and he has already had a huge impact on the team. Newey helped ‘optimise’ a floor upgrade for Fernando Alonso at the British GP, which guided him to points with P9.

Newey was the last to leave the design room at the Silverstone factory on Thursday night before the race, highlighting his dedication to the project. He is committed to delivering Aston Martin a competitive car under the 2026 F1 regulations.

The new rules are perhaps some of the biggest changes the sport has ever seen, with the teams working hard to build new chassis and power units.

Newey says the teams will be ‘struggling’ with the new regulations and how to integrate the two major changes. The 66-year-old will certainly have his work cut out to build a race-winning machine, but commentator John Watson has identified a ‘major advantage’.

Adrian Newey told he has a ‘major advantage’ with Honda coming to Aston Martin in 2026

Team owner Lawrence Stroll has invested heavily behind the scenes to set the foundations for a competitive team in 2026. Signing Newey from Red Bull was a major coup, given his incredible success with the Milton Keynes outfit, as well as Williams and McLaren.

Part of that success at Red Bull was having Honda as an engine supplier, with whom they won four titles with Max Verstappen in the 2020s. The Japanese manufacturer will join Newey at Aston Martin in 2026 as the team leaves Mercedes.

Speaking at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Watson thinks Newey will ‘exploit’ having Honda as an engine supplier, as he knows how it works and how successful it can be.

“One of the elements that Adrian knew he’s going to benefit from with this move to Aston Martin for the ’26 season with these new regulations, chassis and power units is that he’s got continuity.

“Because the power unit he was so successful with Red Bull has transferred or will be transferring over to the team, that’s Aston Martin.

“And having continuity of, if you like, your engine unit, internal combustion, electronics, whatever and moving into the dynamics of the chassis and all that’s involved in that, is a major, major advantage I would say for Aston Martin and I’m sure Adrian will be fully aware of that and will exploit it fully as well.”

READ MORE: All to know about Aston Martin managing technical partner Adrian Newey

Adrian Newey has a mammoth task ahead of him to improve Aston Martin’s fortunes

While there is optimism surrounding Aston Martin and the potential the team has with Newey on board, it should not be underestimated how big of a job the engineer has on his hands.

The Silverstone outfit have regressed since 2023, with points finishes becoming irregular. They currently sit eighth in the standings, with it taking Alonso until his home race in Barcelona to score his first points of 2025.

The Spaniard has not been on the podium since the 2023 Sao Paulo GP, while teammate Lance Stroll has not finished in the top three since 2020. Aston Martin’s latest updates have helped to propel them into the points more consistently, but extra work is needed to break them away from the midfield.

Newey was spying on McLaren’s car at Silverstone, looking for inspiration from the best team on the grid for 2026. His expertise will be vital for Aston Martin as they strive to become a championship contender.