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Finance expert Adam Williams believes Aston Martin hiring Audi’s Jonathan Wheatley as their team principal would be a “statement of intent” from owner Lawrence Stroll.
Aston Martin are now widely expected to hire a new team principal to take over from Adrian Newey after their disastrous start to the 2026 F1 season. Newey took on the role, along with his existing duties as their managing technical partner, in November to replace Andy Cowell.
Stroll felt it was necessary to move Cowell to the role of chief strategy officer to work closely with Honda at the start of their engine partnership, with Newey leading their race team. But Aston Martin do not think Newey is suited to the role following his public criticism of Honda.
Wheatley has recently emerged as Aston Martin’s top candidate to replace Newey, and Audi have now confirmed that the Briton has left the team due to “personal reasons”. Audi could hold Wheatley to a period of gardening leave through 2026 before he can join Aston Martin.
Audi confirm Jonathan Wheatley’s exit – Who should take over as their team principal?
Aston Martin want Jonathan Wheatley as Lawrence Stroll is not getting the ‘brand exposure’ he craves
F1 Oversteer has exclusively spoken to GRV Media’s finance and governance expert Williams about Aston Martin’s interest in hiring Wheatley to replace Newey as their team principal. It is his belief that Stroll is looking at it commercially after Aston Martin lost £46m through 2025.
READ MORE: All you need to know about Aston Martin F1 team principal Adrian Newey
Williams said: “Aston Martin lost £46m last season on turnover of £281m. So, for all intents and purposes, they are spending £6 for every £5 they earn.
“It’s a commercial investment – Aston Martin want to continue to market themselves as an elite, prestigious brand and associate their logo with success.
“They’re getting brand exposure, i.e. eyeballs on their products, at the moment, but they are not getting that brand association with success. Meanwhile, Lawrence Stroll is losing money, and his ego is taking a bashing.
“Maybe a total reset is what’s required. Yes, you do need stability at some point, but there is no point throwing good money after bad. If the set-up as it is currently isn’t working and isn’t going to work, the worst thing you can do is continue on that path out of stubbornness.
“Capturing Wheatley would certainly be a statement of intent given how recently he arrived at Audi. The ultimate adage in owning a sports team is, ‘Hire good people, and let them get on with it’.
“As the owner, you should be the money, not the brains, behind the operation. You set up the structures and give your team the resources. That should be Stroll’s role if he wants to realise his ambitions of Aston Martin becoming a super team.”
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Aston Martin ranked seventh in the F1 constructors’ standings in 2025 on 89 points, for their joint-worst finish since Stroll rebranded Racing Point prior to the 2021 campaign. Newey had little influence on the AMR25, as he focused on F1’s 2026 regulations after joining in March.
The AMR26 was Newey’s brainchild, and Stroll hoped it would be the car that allowed Aston Martin to fight for the F1 drivers’ title. Instead, Honda’s endless reliability issues have so far seen Aston Martin fail to finish a Grand Prix, while masking the issues with Newey’s design.
All of the discussion regarding Aston Martin so far this season has been related to Honda’s engine causing excessive vibrations that Newey revealed ahead of the Australian Grand Prix had left Fernando Alonso fearing permanent nerve damage in his hands if he drove 25 laps.
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