Newey provides update over health conditions: 'It's been a difficult period'

A few weeks ago, Adrian Newey made his first Formula 1 paddock appearance since the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, returning to the spotlight during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend. The British designer also took part in his first on-camera interview in months.

Speaking about his health in the latest episode of Aston Martin's Undercut, the British designer revealed that he is now feeling well after going through a difficult period. Newey admitted he had not been at full strength for quite some time and had to manage his workload more carefully to prioritise his health. He also praised the team for the way it handled the situation, saying Aston Martin's engineers were highly supportive and that the strong working relationship they maintained helped minimise the impact on the project.

Speaking to media outlets including GPblog ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, Aston Martin chief trackside officer Mike Krack insisted the team is far from standing still, despite not bringing the same stream of upgrades seen from several of its rivals in recent races. He acknowledged that other teams have continued to make progress with new parts, but explained that Aston Martin has deliberately chosen a different development path.

According to Krack, that direction was decided under the leadership of Newey, and the team is fully committed to following it. He stressed that, having made that choice, Aston Martin cannot afford to question it every weekend because of the car's current limitations, instead focusing on staying united and extracting the maximum from the package already available while preparing for stronger results in the future.

On the subject of the team's next upgrade package, Krack said everyone is working flat out to maximise its potential. He explained that the target is always to push development deadlines as far as possible in order to deliver the best possible package, adding that the new parts will be introduced as soon as they are ready.