Ivan Capelli says Aston Martin can’t ‘remove’ Adrian Newey because he has shares in the team

Follow us on Google Discover

Adrian Newey consolidated his position at Aston Martin when he acquired shares in the team, F1 pundit Ivan Capelli says. Newey’s job is not at risk despite the team’s dire start to the new season.

Fernando Alonso missed FP1 entirely at the Australian Grand Prix and, at the time of writing, there are still doubts as to whether they can complete the weekend. Alonso’s best time in FP2 was five seconds off the pace, with Lance Stroll six seconds adrift.

Before the weekend started, Newey warned that his drivers could suffer ‘nerve damage’ if they drove too many consecutive laps due to aggressive vibrations. And on Friday, he revealed that the team were down to their last two Honda batteries.

Aston Martin boss Adrian Newey reveals Honda only have two operational batteries left

Will Aston Martin make the start of the Australian Grand Prix?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Ivan Capelli concerned about Adrian Newey but says his job is safe

It would be fair to say that the majority of the fault lies with Honda. In addition to its well-publicised malfunctions, Honda’s engine is down 80 horsepower compared to rival teams.

But the Japanese manufacturer say Newey wanted to change ‘almost everything’ when he started work at the team last March. He may not be blameless.

Indeed, former F1 driver Capelli says Newey was responsible for Aston Martin’s late arrival at F1 testing (they only completed their first laps at the end of day four in Barcelona). He has reservations about whether the legendary designer is cut out to lead a team.

• READ MORE: Martin Brundle warns Aston Martin face ‘six-month’ struggle as the sole Honda F1 team in 2026

Lawrence Stroll is known as one of the most ruthless operators in the F1 paddock, but because Aston Martin gave Newey shares in the team, it would be difficult to oust him even if that was his inclination.

“It seemed like it would be the most coveted target for 2027, but instead it’s a question mark,” Capelli told Corriere della Sera. “But the technical problems, stemming from the Honda power unit, are masking other issues.

“Newey, a true genius, has always had bosses above him who gave him scope and precise timelines: Patrick Head at Williams, Ron Dennis at McLaren, Christian Horner at Red Bull. Today he’s team principal and designer, and, lo and behold, the car arrived late due to the desire to change some details right up to the last minute.

“Furthermore, he has to deal with a series of organisational issues, things he hadn’t thought of before. And he can’t even be removed because he’s a shareholder of Aston Martin.”

Aston Martin source adamant that Adrian Newey’s chassis is on a ‘different level’

Stroll may still see Newey as his most valuable asset as he clings onto the dream of turning Aston Martin into a title challenger.

Indeed, one Aston Martin team member raved about Newey’s chassis in an anonymous statement to Auto Motor und Sport.

“The car Adrian Newey has created is on a different level than what we’re used to,” they said. “In both the overall picture and the details. The car’s architecture is designed in such a way that even major upgrades can be flexibly integrated at any time, while still fitting into the overall concept.”

But equally, there is a theory that Newey’s aggressive design is ‘shackling’ Honda’s efforts to improve reliability. There appears to be a fundamental disconnect between the Silverstone team and their new engine suppliers.

A recent report revealed a ‘toxic blame culture’ at Aston Martin, with Honda made a ‘scapegoat’. It also cited a ‘leadership vacuum’, which suggests that Newey has not been a natural fit in an unfamiliar team principal role.