To make such a move possible for Newey, Andy Cowell, the team's current boss will have to make way ahead of 2026.

Unconfirmed rumours pointed to internal frictions originating from the different work methodologies and approaches put forward by both men but, as it stands, it marks another turbulent change within Aston as it aspires to win F1 championships.

Since Lawrence Stroll took over the team, then known as Force India and turned it into Racing Point - before rebranding it as Aston Martin ahead of the 2021 season, the team has gone through three team principals with Newey set to become the fourth man to hold the title in as little as 5 years.

From 2018 to 2022, Otmar Szafnauer acted as team boss for the Silverstone-based outfit, before leaving for a short-lived tenure at Alpine. He was then replaced by Mike Krack, who took the helm for the following two seasons.

This year, Krack was sidelined and Cowell was given the reigns of the team in preparation for next year's regulations overhaul. As many as seven technical exits are rumoured to be pending, including former Mercedes Eric Blandin from the aerodynamic department.

Former Red Bull technical chief Dan Fallows and former McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh, have also seen their time within the team cut short as they failed to deliver results on track.

In an interview published on 30 October 2025 by Aston Martin's website, Stroll passionately stated that his emotionality was inexorably linked to the team's results, ironically suggesting: "We need to give it some time for everybody to gel”.

However, the high turnover of senior staff has offered anything but stability for the ambitions outfit. 

GPblog understands that following Cowell's short 14 months tenure, Aston Martin's senior leaders sought the change, to which the former Mercedes man agreed and decided to step down.

With the team getting ready for a crucial season come next year, from the outside the timing for the change seems odd, however, Cowell stated in his reaction to the news that "it is an appropriate time for me to take a different role as Chief Strategy Officer."

Newey’s move as Aston Martin team principal is a major leadership shift that could reshape the team’s future and influence driver moves. Under Lawrence Stroll, Aston Martin has invested heavily in facilities and talent, but on-track performance now points to drivers as the next area for improvement. Read the full story here.

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