Aston Martin staff doubt that Adrian Newey’s chassis is as good as he claims

Follow us on Google Discover

Adrian Newey’s claim that Aston Martin have the fifth-best chassis in Formula 1 has split opinion within the team, according to a report. The Silverstone outfit are bottom of the constructors’ standings after the first three rounds.

Speaking in a press conference ahead of the season opener in Australia, Newey hinted that Aston Martin were only behind the big four in the chassis department: “Here in Melbourne, we are a bit behind the leaders, maybe the fifth best team, so sort of potential Q3 qualifiers on the chassis side.”

Far from being in Q3 contention, Aston Martin haven’t come close to escaping Q1 yet. While they finished a race for the first time in Japan, they also locked out the back row in qualifying, their worst performance since the 2021 rebrand.

Just one year left in Lawrence Stroll’s five-year plan

Where will Aston Martin be in 2027?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Adrian Newey’s ‘fifth-best’ chassis claim prompts scepticism at Aston Martin

According to AutoNocion, there are ‘voices’ within Aston Martin who aren’t ‘entirely convinced’ by Newey’s statement.

Previous reports have already suggested that Newey’s chassis left Aston Martin underwhelmed, even if the radical design choices wowed the rest of the pit lane at the first pre-season test in Barcelona.

Newey started work at Aston Martin in March 2025 after leaving Red Bull. Widely regarded as the greatest designer in F1 history, he was seen as the final piece for the team to become contenders.

Can Aston Martin’s relationship with Honda survive long-term?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Team staff believe the car has ‘potential’ but think Newey was overly ‘optimistic’. In reality, the chassis may be closer to ‘eighth best’, though insiders think it’s too early to cast such a verdict.

It’s possible that Newey was trying to put pressure on engine suppliers Honda. If the chassis is good enough to fight for points, then it stands to reason that the power unit is holding Aston Martin back.

Have Honda been unfairly scapegoated for Aston Martin problems?

Even Mike Krack admitted in Japan that Aston Martin’s chassis is not ‘good’ in high-speed corners. Their potential has clearly been obscured, but the car’s ceiling may still be below expectations.

Aston Martin continued to struggle with vibrations at Suzuka, once again forcing Fernando Alonso to momentarily remove his hands from the steering wheel.

There is still uncertainty over the exact cause. It may be the Honda engine itself, or it could be that the power unit hasn’t been properly integrated into the chassis.

Honda suspect Aston Martin are to blame, noting that the vibrations are much less severe when the power unit runs on the test bench in Sakura.

Newey’s tenure as team principal is likely to be short-lived, with Jonathan Wheatley expected to join after his post-Audi gardening leave. That will allow the designer to return to his chief technical officer role.