How the F1 paddock reacted to Adrian Newey's team boss appointment

09:55, 28 Nov

byKada Sarkozi

Adrian Newey will become Aston Martin's team boss in the 2026 season. Here is how the F1 paddock has reacted to the news ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix.

"It’s good news."

- Fernando Alonso

Aston Martin drivers Alonso and Stroll back Newey

Fernando Alonso explained that he never talked about Newey getting such a promotion, but it is one that he welcomes.

He told GPblog: "It’s good news. He was, anyway, managing the technical development of the car, but also the team, the people that were needed, and taking care of which areas we needed to reinforce as a team and which other areas were less important."

"In a way, he was already doing a lot of internal management, and Andy [Cowell] was doing a lot of management as well on the engine side and the engine integration to the chassis. It was maybe a normal, logical step into 2026."

Therefore, the former two-time world champion sees his current team to be in "good hands."

Alonso's teammate, Lance Stroll, was also positive about the decision. The Canadian said: "Adrian's in charge of the car design, but also, heavily involved in the culture of the team and and getting the most out of everyone that has a part of contributing and building the car. It's a performance driven business and Adrian's all about performance. So I think it's positive.

"We have conversations about what I like in the car. But next year is a completely different kind of car. So at the end of the day, it's all about building the fastest race car we can, and then when we get to the track and we drive, then the conversation's about the balance and limitations."

Adrian Newey at the Monaco GP earlier this year - Photo: Race Pictures

Verstappen also confident in Newey

Talking to GPblog, the four-time world champion commented:"It's probably something that you see in more teams, right? Someone more technical is taking on the role of team boss, and I guess Aston is going the same way. I'm happy to see that, I don't know of course how much that will change in the involvement of the car for Adrian, but I'm sure he will do well."

"Time will tell [if he'll be a good team principal] I've never spoken to Adrian about it, it was never an option at Red Bull of course. I don't know what the ambition was or whatever, but I'm happy for him! He's in a different team environment now. I'm just sitting here, enjoying it! Happy for him, and I hope that the team will benefit from his knowledge at the end of the day."

"Happy for him, and I hope that the team will benefit from his knowledge at the end of the day."

- Max Verstappen

Marko surprised by Newey's appointment

Talking to Kleine Zeitung, Marko added that day-to-day operations and on-track duties are not Newey’s strong points.

He explained: "That's certainly not his forte. His great strength lies in design, car setup, and the quality of production and development. But it has surprised me greatly that he's moving more towards team management."

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