Alonso backs Aston’s Newey shake-up: “We’re in good hands for 2026”
Fernando Alonso has welcomed Aston Martin’s leadership reshuffle as “good news,” after the team confirmed Adrian Newey will step up to team principal from 2026, with Andy Cowell moving into a newly defined chief strategy officer role.
The announcement dropped ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix in Lusail, and it’s very Aston: bold, internal, and laser-focused on the next rules reset. Rather than hunting outside, the Silverstone outfit has split the brief between two heavyweights it already has in house. Newey, currently managing technical partner, will take the reins of the racing operation; Cowell, the former Mercedes HPP boss, will spearhead strategy and power unit integration. Both remain under the watch of executive chairman Lawrence Stroll.
Alonso, who’s worked closely with Newey this season, painted the move as the natural evolution of what’s already been happening behind the scenes.
“We were discussing more technical stuff about the car than any other thing,” Alonso said when asked if he’d been tipped off about Newey’s new title. “But it’s good news.”
According to the two-time world champion, Newey has already been acting like the team’s on-track compass — not only shaping the car but helping decide where the organisation needs reinforcing. Cowell, meanwhile, has had his hands deep in the engine side and how it all bolts to the chassis. Putting formal job titles to that split? Logical, says Alonso, with 2026 fast approaching.
“I mean, it was maybe a normal logical step into 2026,” he explained. “We have probably the two best people. One doing the chassis and the team, one the engine integration and the team as well. We have a very strong leader with Lawrence… so, between the three of them, I think we are in good hands. Let’s move into 2026 with hopefully a better car.”
If it sounds like Newey will be a different kind of team boss, that’s because he is. The sport’s most celebrated designer has never officially worn the team principal badge. But don’t expect a culture shift away from his trademark edge.
“With Adrian, there is only one style, which is performance,” Alonso said. “There is just the unlimited search for performance and perfection. Great competitor, great leader. The whole team is already on that path, but with Adrian it will be even more extreme.”
That word — extreme — is doing some heavy lifting. Aston Martin has grown at pace, graduating from its “old days” core of around 300 to a much larger, modern operation in just a few seasons. Alonso is keenly aware that rapid scaling brings fresh energy but also a need for experienced hands at the tiller.
“This team is still very new,” he added. “A lot of our employees are new to the sport, young, energetic people that need the guidance of Adrian, or these great leaders that we have, to teach them the way to succeed in Formula 1. And we have two of the most successful individuals ever in the sport, Andy Cowell and Adrian Newey.”
Strip away the job titles and the message is clear: Aston’s 2026 project will be driven by specialisms, not silos. Newey runs the racing team and the car’s competitive direction; Cowell ensures the power unit and its integration aren’t just compliant, but a weapon. Stroll sets the tone and resources the mission. It’s a structure built for the new era and the bigger picture.
And Alonso? He’s bought in. For a driver who’s sampled just about every type of F1 operation over two decades, calling this “good news” isn’t fluff — it’s a measured nod to a team that’s finally arranging its stars in the right order.
