Adrian Newey confirms Aston Martin plan of action after Monaco GP return
Adrian Newey was appointed Aston Martin team principal ahead of the F1 2026 season
Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey has revealed that he has been “working away” on a major upgrade to the AMR26 car during his stint away from the F1 paddock.
It comes after the veteran designer made a welcome return at last weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix.
Adrian Newey puts new Aston Martin ‘systems’ in place
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Newey, who was appointed Aston Martin team boss ahead of the F1 2026 season, returned to trackside duties in Monte Carlo after a four-race absence.
His only previous paddock appearance in 2026 came at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in March, with reports last month claiming that the 67-year-old was recovering following a bout of illness.
Newey’s return coincided with Aston Martin’s first points finish of F1 2026, with Fernando Alonso promoted to 10th following a post-race penalty for Cadillac driver Sergio Perez.
Alonso’s result also marked the first point of Aston Martin’s new technical partnership with Honda.
As reported on Monday, Newey was spotted on the grid by PlanetF1.com’s on-the-ground reporter Thomas Maher examining the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri shortly before the start of last Sunday’s race.
The legendary designer was also caught studying the Alpine A526 of Pierre Gasly.
In an interview on the grid in Monaco, Newey – who made his first trackside appearance with Aston Martin in Monte Carlo last year – commented that it was “nice to be back” in the paddock.
And he revealed that he has been working behind the scenes on an upgrade package set to be introduced by the team next month.
Newey told F1 TV: “Unfortunately this [the fourth row of the grid] is a bit of a long walk from the back, or from our cars, this time.
“But it’s nice to be back. It’s the first race I’ve been to since Melbourne.
“I’ve just been working away on updating the car and an update that we will have ready probably just before the summer break.”
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Newey revealed after Aston Martin arrived late to January’s pre-season shakedown in Barcelona that the design and development of the AMR26 car had been heavily compromised.
He estimated that the team was “on the back foot by about four months” compared to its rivals, admitting “the car only came together at the last minute.”
Speaking in Monaco last weekend, he went on to confirm that Aston Martin’s poor preparation for F1 2026 has led to a rethink, allowing the team to “do our research much more carefully” going forward.
Asked how he is helping to motivate drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, Newey replied: “It’s a long, hard slog for them obviously.
“We took the decision after Melbourne that, rather than doing piecemeal updates, we’d take our time to put systems in place and do our research much more carefully.
“Everything was such a rush to get the car out for Melbourne, we said: ‘OK, we’ll endure the short-term pain and hopefully make a decent step when we make it.'”
PlanetF1.com understands that Newey is expected to attend other events this season following his comeback in Monaco.
His schedule is understood to be similar to that of his immediate predecessor, Andy Cowell, who attended between 10 and 14 races per season.
Rather than being a near-constant presence in the paddock like other team bosses, it is believed that Newey chooses the races he attends based on where he feels he can bring most value to the team.
Newey did not undertake further media duties in Monte Carlo last weekend with Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de La Rosa instead appearing in Friday’s team representatives’ press conference.
De la Rosa also carried out media engagements in the aftermath of Sunday’s race after Mike Krack, the former Aston Martin team boss who now acts as chief trackside officer, appeared before the press on Thursday.
Newey previously told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets in Australia that he has found his new responsibilities as team principal “a little bit” distracting from his core work on car design and development.
PlanetF1.com revealed in March that Newey is set to vacate the role in due course having led the search for his long-term successor following his own appointment last year.
Jonathan Wheatley, the former Audi F1 team principal, is expected to take over.
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
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