Steiner: Adrian Newey Shouldn't Have Taken Aston Martin Team Principal Role

Guenther Steiner believes Adrian Newey made a mistake by accepting the team principal role at Aston Martin, arguing that the legendary designer's talents are wasted on management duties. The Silverstone squad, which brought Newey onboard in 2025 as managing technical partner, promoted him to team principal for the 2026 season — a decision Steiner calls a textbook case of over-promotion.

Why it matters:

Aston Martin's ambitious restructuring placed Newey in a dual role that clashes with his core strengths. As the team struggles at the bottom of the constructors' standings with zero points after four races, Steiner's critique highlights a recurring F1 pitfall: putting elite specialists into leadership positions without ensuring they have the right skill set.

The details:

• Speaking on the Drive to Wynn podcast, Steiner said Newey likely regrets the move: "If you would ask Adrian here, he would say, 'I don't know why I did this or why I agreed to this.'"
• Steiner emphasized that Newey's expertise is car design, not day-to-day team management: "That is not where his strength is. He's very good at what he's doing, which is designing cars."
• He added that Newey probably didn't fully understand the team principal's responsibilities before accepting: "He needed to be team principal, not knowing what it actually is or what it means."
• Aston Martin entered 2026 with a new Honda power unit partnership but has faced significant reliability and performance issues, leaving them 11th in the standings.

What's next:

Newey's role has reportedly already shifted — Andy Cowell, who originally held the team principal position before moving to chief strategy officer, may be reassuming more operational control. The hope is that Newey can refocus on the car's design flaws, particularly with the new regulations and Honda engine integration. For Aston Martin, the clock is ticking to salvage a season that has started far below expectations.