Aston Martin's Newey explains Stroll influence, flat structure and Hungary upgrade plan

Speaking ahead of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Newey - who has not been well - praised Aston Martin's state-of-the-art Silverstone headquarters but stressed that the team's biggest strength is not its infrastructure.

Incredibly, it was only the second time this year that Newey had addressed the media in this way - his previous encounter with the media had come in Melbourne where he somewhat unexpectedly explained the difficulties with the Honda power until, throwing his Honda colleague sat next to him under the bus.

This time, he spoke at a BBQ at the team's factory, coming on to the stage for a brief appearance before being ushered off and away from any follow up questions.

However, the legendary designer believes the real difference comes from team owner Lawrence Stroll.

Newey compared Stroll's hands-on approach to that of two of Formula 1's most iconic team bosses.

Newey also addressed his own role within Aston Martin after previously saying that "team principal is a job title, not a job description."

Rather than operating with a traditional hierarchy, Newey explained that Aston Martin has deliberately adopted a flatter leadership structure. According to Newey, the organisation is built around collaboration instead of layers of management.

Aston Martin has endured a disappointing season, but Newey explained that the team deliberately chose to sacrifice short-term performance in favour of a more comprehensive rebuild.

After suffering several issues during pre-season testing, the team only began to properly understand its car during the opening race weekend in Melbourne.

Once Aston Martin realised it would not be competitive in the opening races, it made what Newey described as a "painful but correct decision."

Instead, the focus shifted towards understanding the team's weaknesses while improving internal processes.

The first reward for that patience is expected to arrive at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Newey confirmed Aston Martin is targeting a substantial upgrade package in Hungary, with a second phase scheduled for Singapore.

Alongside improving this year's car, the team is already making decisions aimed at strengthening its long-term prospects.

Although Aston Martin's current form has been frustrating for everyone involved, Newey believes the difficult period will eventually prove worthwhile.

Newey also revealed that communication with drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll has become a greater priority during the rebuilding process.

Both drivers have endured a frustrating campaign with a car lacking both reliability and outright pace.

He also acknowledged Aston Martin may not have communicated enough with its drivers earlier in the season.