Newey responds to Horner Aston Martin rumours with management update

Adrian Newey has swerved speculation that he could reunite with Christian Horner at Aston Martin, with the former Red Bull boss linked to his team principal role.

Newey did, however, reveal that there would be “some minor tweaks” to the team’s management structure.

Adrian Newey addresses Christian Horner Aston Martin rumours

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Horner has been away from Formula 1 management for more than a year, after the Briton was ousted from his role as Red Bull team principal and CEO.

Now a ‘free agent’ after serving his gardening leave, Horner was back in the Formula 1 paddock at Silverstone, where he was believed to be a guest of FIA and FOM having been invited by both.

The Briton, one of the sport’s most successful team principals, has been linked to Aston Martin, Alpine and BYD, who could potentially enter the sport.

It is, however, understood that the former team principal wants equity in any team that he may potentially join.

But while BYD would then offer him the best option given Renault ruled out his bid to buy Otro Capital’s 24 per cent stake in Alpine, Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll has shown he’s willing to give equity having done so when he signed Newey.

The Aston Martin team principal was asked about the Horner rumours as the team debuted its B-spec AMR26 in Budapest.

“Yes, I keep hearing these rumours about Christian,” he told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets. “I can’t comment further, I don’t really know anything about that.

“All I can say is that we’re very happy with our senior management team. We may do some minor tweaks, but the personnel we have at Aston Martin Racing, we’re very happy with.

“In terms of the organisation of the senior members in the team, we will probably do a little bit more tweaking, but we’re very happy with the personnel.

“Then, in terms of the culture of the team, I think we are making great strides.

“In deciding, post-Melbourne, to delay development of the car until now and concentrate on integrating, getting people together, developing the culture, developing tools, taking a bit of pressure off ourselves, taking a deep breath and looking at how we needed to develop.

“I feel that’s progressing very well and the technical evolution, in terms of the car we’re bringing here and then the updates that we’ll be bringing to Zandvoort and on to Baku, I feel there have been very strong steps.

“We’re clearly playing a big catch-up game. Is it going to make us the quickest car? Unfortunately, not. But does it represent a good step forward from where we were? Yes, I believe it does.”

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Karun Chandhok has warned Aston Martin that Horner won’t be the answer the team’s problems, after all, they already have the “biggest technical mind in the sport’s history” in the team’s factory.

The Sky F1 show team contemplated what’s next for Aston Martin if Newey’s B-spec car “doesn’t work”.

F1 pundit Craig Slater put forward Horner.

Chandhok replied: “But he’s not designing the car, is he?”

The former HRT F1 driver went on to explain: “Christian Horner coming in is not going to fix the car in the next six, 10, 12, 18 months.

“They’ve got the biggest technical mind in the sport’s history already in the factory.

“So something has not quite worked in the process and delivery of that car, right?

“The design process and delivery of the car and that’s what the technical minds need to understand and resolve.”

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