Adrian Newey to become Aston Martin Team Principal in 2026, Cowell stays

Legendary F1 car designer Adrian Newey will become Aston Martin Team Principal from 2026 onward with current in charge, Andy Cowell, remaining with the team as Chief Strategy Officer.

Newey will lead the team, his first time leading a team from the front having spent many years at Red Bull and McLaren as the brains behind championship winning cars, but will now take the reins from Andy Cowell.

Newey, 66, is a veteran of the sport and will be the team’s crucial leader, not only implementing his engineering and design knowledge to the team, but aiming to guide a competitive team under brand new regulations.

In a statement on social media, Aston Martin said; “Andy Cowell and Adrian Newey have agreed to divide their responsibilities in order to focus on their individual strengths and expertise, ensuring organisational efficiency.

Andy Cowell will take on a new role as Chief Strategy Officer, using his unique experience to help optimise the technical partnership between the Team, Honda, Aramco and Valvoline.

Adrian Newey will take on the role of Team Principal from 2026 and will be guiding the technical team, including the trackside operations of the car”.

📸 Image credits: Aston Martin F1 Team.