For all the excitement that surrounded Aston Martin in the build-up to 2026, their start to these regulations has been nothing short of a disaster.
The team’s rapid investment into the latest development infrastructure, coupled with the acquisition of big names like Adrian Newey and Andy Cowell, has not materialised into a winning – or even respectably competitive – AMR26.
Unfortunately for Lawrence Stroll, his project is not coming together as expected. Aston Martin’s poor off-track performance is being mirrored by a growing sense of instability and uncertainty away from it.
Andy Cowell being moved from team principal to Chief Strategy Officer in late 2025 (replaced by Adrian Newey) was the first indication of friction behind the scenes.
With Newey in search of a new team principal, Jonathan Wheatley is one of the leading candidates. However, once again, here are several layers to the story at Aston Martin.
Wheatley leads the race, Newey blocks Horner return
On paper, Newey becoming Aston Martin team principal was a significant development. Simultaneously, the move was perhaps more important because of who was replaced – Andy Cowell.
Broadly speaking, Newey has been in charge of Aston’s 2026 development from the moment he joined the team. His specially appointed role of ‘Managing Technical Partner’ gave the 67-year-old free reign to make the changes he deemed necessary.
In this sense, becoming team principal did not materially change his involvement in the AMR26. This internal adjustment was more relevant for what it meant for Andy Cowell’s role.
With almost a decade of title success at Mercedes under his belt, Cowell was widely seen as a competent team principal. By extension, his specialisation on engine development made him well-suited to optimise the team’s collaboration with Honda.
Indeed, Cowell is now working more closely with Honda and their factory in Sakura. He is tasked with helping improve co-ordination between Aston Martin and the Japanese manufacturer – and by extension revive the struggling Honda engine programme.
Still, it cannot be said that Cowell voluntarily relinquished his position as team principal. Like all things at Aston Martin, this decision was approved and overseen by Adrian Newey.
Based on various reports from the BBC, Newey’s judgement has been decisive in other areas. Over the last few months, Christian Horner’s interest in returning to Formula 1 has become increasingly clear.
Most recently, Horner’s efforts to acquire a 24% stake in Alpine have become a significant story. However, prior to this, the former Red Bull boss was linked to Aston Martin.
Only last week, it was reported that Horner met with Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll. The reason why Horner is not seen as a realistic candidate to lead the Silverstone operation is very simple – Adrian Newey.
It is understood that Newey’s previous disagreements with Horner (which contributed to his Red Bull exit) have spoiled the chances of this old partnership reuniting.
By extension, Jonathan Wheatley is said to be Newey’s first choice to become the next Aston Martin team principal.
The next steps
Wheatley’s role at an impressive Audi only became in doubt over the last ten days. After all, the former Red Bull sporting director was overseeing a strong start to the 2026 campaign for Audi. The German team’s power unit and R26 chassis has undoubtedly exceeded expectations.
In this sense, it was a surprise when reports emerged about his negotiations with Aston Martin. After all, the Silverstone-based operation has a variety of problems and obstacles to address.
By contrast, the Audi project is starting relatively well. As a manufacturer team, the German brand has every reason to climb the field and become an established force in F1.
Despite this, Wheatley’s departure from Audi was announced just days ago. Perhaps the promise of returning to the UK, rather than having to permanently relocate to Switzerland, was significant in his thought process.
Regardless, Aston Martin are expected to secure his services as team principal. This move is known to have been endorsed and even orchestrated by Adrian Newey.
Wheatley’s record in Formula 1, both at Red Bull and his limited Audi stint, requires no introduction. The British engineer is highly competent and has the credentials necessary to build a team from the ground up.
For Newey, whose focus has always been on development, signing Wheatley is a logical move. The slightly unusual structure the team are currently operating under – with Mike Krack leading the trackside team at events where Newey is working at the factory – was always going to be a temporary measure.
Therefore, whilst no agreement has been signed, Aston Martin is seen as an almost certain next destination for Wheatley. The question will be if this latest change at Aston Martin can provide some much-needed stability.