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Aston Martin are keen to name Jonathan Wheatley as their new team principal, as the team realised Adrian Newey is not suited to the role after he publicly criticised Honda.
Newey opened eyes at Aston Martin for all the wrong reasons ahead of the Australian Grand Prix earlier this month when he blamed Honda for all of the issues they have had at the start of their engine partnership. Now, Newey is already expected to step down as team principal.
The 67-year-old Briton only added the role of team principal to his duties last November, as Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll shuffled Andy Cowell aside to work closely with Honda and fuel supplier Aramco. But Aston Martin are now in talks to appoint Audi boss Wheatley.
It has been claimed that Wheatley has already agreed to join Aston Martin, despite him only taking over Sauber in April 2025 to guide Audi’s debut in F1. Those reports have been played down to a degree, but Newey is open to Wheatley becoming Aston Martin’s team principal.
Is Jonathan Wheatley the right man to get Aston Martin back on track in 2026?
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Adrian Newey’s attack on Honda in Australia made Aston Martin realise he is ‘not suited’ to being a team principal
Newey never envisaged holding the team principal role permanently, but Aston Martin feel they need to appoint a permanent figure sooner than expected. And The Telegraph reports that Wheatley has been contacted as Aston Martin want Newey to focus on fixing their car.
READ MORE: All you need to know about Aston Martin F1 team principal Adrian Newey
There is also an ‘acceptance’ at Aston Martin that Newey is ‘not suited’ to having a front-of-house position, following his outburst about Honda in Australia. Despite HRC president Koji Watanabe sitting next to him, Newey did not hold back in throwing Honda ‘under the bus’.
Newey stated in Melbourne that Fernando Alonso did not think he could do more than 25 laps without fearing permanent nerve damage in his hands, while Lance Stroll thought he could only do 15, due to Honda’s engine causing excessive vibrations throughout their car.
Also, Newey claimed Honda’s engine vibrations were making the mirrors fall off the AMR26, with the Japanese giant’s V6 rattling Aston Martin’s chassis. The vibrations have also caused Honda’s battery to fail en masse, and Aston Martin are yet to complete a Grand Prix in 2026.
Newey also did not attend the Chinese Grand Prix, which neither Alonso nor Stroll managed to finish, and it remains to be seen when he will feature in the paddock next. Alonso had to regularly take his hands off the steering wheel in China due to Honda’s vibration issues, too.
Mike Krack is likely to be Aston Martin’s media-facing figure until Adrian Newey is replaced
Having realised that Newey is not suited to facing the media in difficult times, Aston Martin are likely to have chief trackside officer Mike Krack continue to be their public-facing figure. Krack faced the media in China in the absence of Newey, which he claimed was the “plan”.
READ MORE: Who is Audi team principal Jonathan Wheatley? Everything you need to know
How many F1 titles will Newey win at Aston Martin?
Ralf Schumacher thinks Newey was wrong to criticise Honda in public the way he did ahead of the Australian GP. Likewise, Gary Anderson feels Newey’s comments about Honda will not have pleased anyone after he said Aston Martin only realised Honda’s issues last November.
Beyond his words, Newey tutted and sighed throughout Aston Martin’s press conference in Australia, as well, as he simply could not hide his frustrations with the situation that Honda were essentially made to take responsibility for. Now, Aston Martin want a new team boss.
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