Jonathan Wheatley is ignoring a glaring red flag if he joins Aston Martin alongside Adrian Newey

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Jonathan Wheatley and Adrian Newey could very easily clash if they reunite at Aston Martin. It emerged on Thursday that Wheatley is the primary candidate to become the new team principal at Silverstone.

It’s felt that Newey’s skillset is not suited to the team principal role, which he only took on at the start of the year. The 67-year-old has never held such a position, instead specialising in car design.

In fact, Aston Martin are now indicating that Newey was always going to be a temporary solution. They want a more conventional team principal who will free him up to focus on the car, and Wheatley is the overwhelming favourite even though he only recently took over at Audi himself.

Is Jonathan Wheatley the right man to get Aston Martin back on track in 2026?

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Adrian Newey’s power at Aston Martin is a problem for Jonathan Wheatley

Wheatley wants to join Aston Martin for a number of reasons, including a desire to return to England. After Audi took over Sauber’s Hinwil factory, he has been living in Switzerland.

But reports suggest there is also tension between Wheatley and Audi CEO Mattia Binotto. While McLaren have had success with this dynamic (Andrea Stella works under Zak Brown), one can see the potential for conflict between a team principal and a CEO.

The team principal generally runs the team day-to-day, while the CEO oversees the bigger picture. But those responsibilities cannot be entirely separated, and the inevitable overlap can generate disagreements.

• READ MORE: Adrian Newey opposed Christian Horner joining Aston Martin after Lawrence Stroll meeting this week

Crucially, Sky Sports report that Wheatley’s prospective move to Aston Martin would not diminish Newey’s responsibilities. As ‘managing technical partner’, he would have full control over technical matters and report directly to owner Lawrence Stroll.

Newey and Wheatley may have worked together for the best part of 20 years at Red Bull, achieving huge success, but there is a clear red flag in the Aston Martin structure.

Newey’s position in the hierarchy will once again be blurred, just as it was before he clashed with Andy Cowell. His strong relationship with Wheatley may not last, particularly if the team’s dismal results continue.

Aston Martin even contacted Mattia Binotto about F1 role

According to The Times, Aston Martin approached Binotto, Wheatley’s current boss, about the position. The Italian remains committed to the Audi project, which has got off to an encouraging start.

Binotto was the Ferrari team principal from 2019 until the end of 2022. Gianpiero Lambiase, who has no experience in the role but is one of the most respected engineers in the paddock after his work alongside Max Verstappen, also turned down the opportunity.

It seems as if Stroll doesn’t know exactly what kind of team principal he wants. That might explain why, since the 2021 rebrand, four different figures have already occupied the role.