Aston Martin rejected by two major F1 names to replace Adrian Newey after disastrous start

Aston Martin F1 team principal Adrian Newey is reportedly searching for his own replacement amid the outfit’s terrible start to the 2026 season, but two big names have already rejected the position.

Aston Martin has yet to finish a Grand Prix in the current campaign, with both the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix going disastrously wrong for drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.

Last time out in China, Alonso retired on lap 32, while Stroll could only manage nine laps before pulling off the track at Turn 1.

The team’s start to the 2026 campaign has been marred by issues with their Honda engine, with vibrations causing ongoing problems.

Principal Newey, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 designers — having designed 26 world championship-winning cars — arrived at Aston Martin in 2024 and also became a shareholder.

In 2025, the Brit was appointed as the team’s principal for the 2026 season and is believed to be on a five-year contract worth up to £30 million per year.

Adrian Newey is set to be replaced as Aston Martin team principal (Credit:Getty)

However, due to Aston Martin’s poor start to the season, Newey is under pressure, with reports suggesting that the 67-year-old could soon be replaced as team principal.

As reported by F1 Oversteer, Aston executive chairman Lawrence Stroll — and father of driver Lance — is expected to push to replace Newey.

Newey also has the responsibility of finding his own replacement, but things are proving difficult.

According to reports, Italian engineer and Red Bull head of racing Gianpiero Lambiase has been contacted about the role, but PlanetF1 claims that he has already turned down the opportunity to work for the Silverstone outfit in favour of remaining with his current team.

Audi’s Head of F1 Project, Mattia Binotto, has also reportedly rejected an approach from Aston Martin and remains focused on his work with the sport’s newcomers.

Former McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh has also been contacted, but a return to the sport appears unlikely given that he retired following his exit in 2024.

Ex-McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl is also believed to be a target for Aston, having previously served as CEO of the Sauber Group until 2024. The German is seen as the ‘preferred option’ for Aston.

F1 returns on 29 March, with Aston Martin no doubt hoping to see an improvement in their fortunes in Japan.