A former Formula 1 driver has expressed astonishment that Adrian Newey's influence has not yet surfaced at Aston Martin.
The renowned designer, who left Red Bull recently, joined Aston Martin a month ago and is primarily tasked with spearheading their 2026 car project.
The team has also unveiled a cutting-edge wind tunnel, now operational. "It's only just started," said Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de la Rosa to DAZN, "and we haven't had time to test an improvement. We'll have to wait a little longer, be a little more patient and wait for the improvements to be introduced on track."
Fernando Alonso conceded last weekend that Newey has not yet offered any "big ideas" for the 2025 car, which is underperforming even compared to the lacklustre 2024 model.
For ex-Minardi driver Christijan Albers, Aston Martin's downward trajectory since early 2023—despite owner Lawrence Stroll's substantial investments—is baffling. "You can't always stay at the top, it's always changing," he told De Telegraaf.
"The thing that I am shocked and surprised about is that there is really no upward movement at Aston Martin anymore."
Albers had anticipated some immediate impact from Newey's arrival. "I expected Newey to give a certain direction, and that the car would come closer," the Dutchman said. "When Dan Fallows switched to Aston Martin and copied everything from Red Bull, they were there right away. They were suddenly competitive and Fernando Alonso was on the podium. So I definitely expected something—but that is not the case."
