Aston Martin is fully relying on Adrian Newey in Formula 1 from next season. The legendary designer and aerodynamics pope then also takes on the role of team boss. Red Bull eminence Helmut Marko expresses considerable doubts at sport.de that the model works.
“I was just as surprised as the whole paddock,” commented Helmut Marko in the interview RTL/ntv and sport.de Aston Martin’s personnel castling for the 2026 season.
Adrian Newey will replace Andy Cowell as team boss at the British racing team in 2026. The current boss at the command post will take on the role of chief strategist.
It is the first time that the 66-year-old Newey has worked as a team boss. The Brit is considered an aerodynamics guru and the best designer in history. At Aston Martin he is also a partner in the Formula 1 team.
“I can’t imagine it,” said Marko, skeptically about Newey’s new position. “Newey’s strength is design, production, monitoring, weight, all these things. Team boss is a completely different field of activity. Also the time – where should he get it, that would distract from his original design work. I believe that Newey is not the ideal man in this position.”
Marko emphasized that he would never, ever limit Newey “where he is the best – in design.”
Adrian Newey, Aston Martin team boss only on paper?
At the same time, the Austrian raised the question of whether Newey’s enthronement might just be on paper. “Sometimes it is important that people have a certain title, but in practice I cannot imagine that they will fully fulfill this function operationally,” said the Red Bull chief advisor.
Marko worked with the Englishman at Red Bull for almost 20 years until 2024, during which time the team won the drivers’ championship eight times and the constructors’ championship six times.
Basically, the 82-year-old sees a trend in Formula 1 that engineers and technicians are increasingly filling the position of team boss. “I think it has to do with the complexity of these modern cars, which are becoming more and more complicated,” explained Marko.
In order to coordinate all the details, “you need a great deal of technical understanding,” plus the budget cap, which you always have to keep an eye on as the person responsible for the team. “This requires a very diplomatic and all-encompassing approach. And the engineer certainly has an advantage because he brings all the parameters together well.”
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Marko doesn’t believe in Horner’s comeback at Alpine
Marko expressly praised Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies in this context. The Frenchman took over the position in the summer from Christian Horner, who had led Red Bull since 2005.
“Laurent Mekies came and the big difference to Christian Horner is that he is a trained engineer, an excellent engineer, who shifted the whole thing more into the technical side of the setup and preparation work. The drivers – especially Max (Verstappen) – were also more involved,” said Marko.
Marko doesn’t believe that his long-time companion Horner will hire Alpine as team boss. “In recent years he has always been keen to keep or get shares in the team. Like Toto Wolff, for example. That always annoyed him a bit. Apparently there are no shares available at Alpine.”