Aston Martin’s performance crisis has been linked by former F1 presenter Will Buxton to a fundamental breakdown in communication between team principal Adrian Newey and the drivers — a development he called a “red flag.”
Speaking on the Up To Speed podcast, Buxton highlighted Newey’s admission that the team may not have consulted its drivers sufficiently during the development of this season’s car. “When the team have to admit, and Adrian has to admit, ‘Actually, I didn't consult the drivers as much as I should have done,’ that feels like a bit of a red flag,” Buxton said. The statement comes as Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll struggle with a car that has failed to compete at the front of the grid, marking a stark drop from last season’s competitiveness.
Newey, who joined Aston Martin as managing technical partner and shareholder in 2025, assumed the additional role of team principal in 2026 — a dual responsibility that has raised questions about his capacity to manage both technical design and team leadership. Buxton questioned whether Newey’s traditional focus on design has come at the expense of his broader managerial duties. “I don't know how much of this stems from Adrian ultimately being team principal and in a role that he's not used to, because he's so used to siloing himself and focusing on the design,” Buxton said. “But something there isn't meshing right now.”
David Coulthard, also on the podcast, acknowledged the logistical challenge of splitting focus between two high-stakes roles. “I do find it unusual to be team principal and leading the technical charge, and a partner,” Coulthard said. “We only have so many hours in the day. It doesn't matter how bright you are, and allocation of time… you simply can't give the same amount of energy to two things.” While he downplayed the extent to which drivers can influence aerodynamic design — “They can say, ‘I want a car with lots of grip, lots of power,’” he noted — he agreed that Newey’s divided attention could be undermining the team’s progress.
The implications extend beyond this season. If Newey’s workload is indeed fragmenting his effectiveness, it could delay Aston Martin’s return to championship contention. The team’s reliance on his technical vision has long been a cornerstone of its ambitions, but without proper integration of driver feedback and clear leadership structure, even the most brilliant design may fall short on track. The fact that Newey himself has publicly acknowledged a failure to engage the drivers suggests internal recognition of a deeper issue — one that can’t be fixed by aerodynamic tweaks alone.
What happens next remains unclear. Aston Martin has not issued a formal response to the comments, nor has Newey provided further detail on how he plans to rebalance his responsibilities. But with the mid-season break approaching, pressure is mounting for the team to clarify its leadership model and restore confidence among its drivers and technical staff. For now, the red flag is up — and the question is no longer whether the car is fast enough, but whether the team structure can keep pace.
Source: Yahoo Sports
