David Croft accuses Adrian Newey of acting like he’s still at Red Bull even though Aston Martin are last

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David Croft says reports that Aston Martin are ‘tight on parts’ for the Hungarian Grand Prix highlight the problem with making Adrian Newey team principal.

Aston Martin are bringing a ‘B-spec car’, in Newey’s own words, to the Hungaroring, which is the final stop before the summer break. It is no exaggeration to say their season hinges on this upgrade, in conjunction with Honda’s new engine (expected at Zandvoort).

However, it has emerged that Aston Martin are ‘struggling’ to get the new car ready for this weekend. They could be facing a shortage of spares in the event of any damage.

David Croft accuses Adrian Newey of acting like he’s still at Red Bull

Croft isn’t surprised by the rumours given Newey’s reputation for stretching deadlines. But at his former team Red Bull, figures like Christian Horner made sure he ‘compromised’ eventually.

Lawrence Stroll made Newey team principal at the start of 2026 so, inside the F1 operation itself, there is nobody to keep him in ‘check’.

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Aston Martin’s arrival at pre-season testing in Barcelona was also delayed. Newey only started work in March last year following a period of gardening leave, which he says put him months behind competitors.

“There are stories that, once again, the team might be tight on parts, because they haven’t had a lot of time from sign-off to building the new parts,” Croft said on the F1 Show. “Adrian is famous for leaving it until the very, very last minute.

“No. That shouldn’t be happening. He’s not at Red Bull or McLaren, designing cars to win championships. This is a car to form a platform to start Aston Martin’s season.

“Don’t leave things until the last minute and give the team a load of stress trying to build these parts and get them on the car. Give people a bit of leeway on this one because it’s not where Adrian has been at in the past.

• READ MORE: Aston Martin could give Adrian Newey his weakest-ever driver line-up as new 2027 target emerges

“That’s where somebody bringing together these technical minds, being that checks and balances, saying, ‘Adrian, you’re an absolute genius, but you’ve got to compromise here’, that’s where it works at Red Bull.

“When you leave Adrian in charge, with all due respect, his first thought is about designing the best car possible.”

Newey is seen as an interim team principal, with Aston Martin still expected to appoint a permanent solution. Jonathan Wheatley, who left Audi earlier this year and worked with the legendary designer at Red Bull, is the favourite.

Aston Martin were over four seconds off the pace with both cars at the Belgian Grand Prix and Fernando Alonso was lapped twice during the race. They hope to at least challenge for Q2 with their overhauled chassis and upgraded engine.