According to David Coulthard, Aston Martin’s move to part ways with Adrian Newey as team principal is a clear sign they agreed with the criticisms.
The team is reportedly set to bring in former Audi boss Jonathan Wheatley once his gardening leave wraps up.
Last week, Lawrence Stroll responded to rumours about Newey’s future, making it clear that he remains committed to him. Instead of leaving the team entirely, the veteran designer will return to his old role overseeing technical partnerships.
Newey stepped into the team principal role at the beginning of the season after an internal dispute with Andy Cowell. Since then, however, things haven’t gone smoothly. With new engine partner Honda struggling, Aston Martin has started slower than expected and hasn’t managed to get either car across the finish line so far this season.
David Coulthard says Aston Martin appointing Adrian Newey was ‘never’ going to work
Speaking on the latest episode of the Up to Speed podcast, Coulthard gave his take on the situation. Having worked with Newey at Williams, McLaren and Red Bull, he took all 13 of his career wins in cars designed by him.
But despite Newey’s legendary status as an engineer, there were always doubts about whether he had the right background for such a role. The job requires political savvy that doesn’t come from a technical background alone.
Coulthard called it a ‘PR own goal’ for the team, while Guenther Steiner agreed that Aston Martin were trying to save their ‘image’ by embarking on another management reshuffle.
“Having spent most of my career working with Adrian, I would never have seen him as a team principal. He is technically driven, he is a racer, he is a problem solver from a technical point of view.”
“The politics of Formula 1 which is what a team principal has to deal with a lot and the politics that are sometimes created with the media as well is not at all [suitable for him].”
“Especially at Adrian’s stage of life. You’ll find as you go through the decades there are certain things that you are prepared to do that you’re not prepared to do when you get older.
“I never saw that as long term play. I think it’s just re-addressing what was short-term and what’s actually turned out to be bit of PR own goal.
“It created scenario or questioning from majority of people who were thinking does that really work?”
David Coulthard’s Fernando Alonso Prediction Hasn’t Stood the Test of Time
Coulthard suggested Newey should consider retirement when he left Red Bull back in 2024. By then, Newey was already 65 years old.
In what appeared to be a light-hearted comment at the time, Coulthard predicted Fernando Alonso would win another championship with Newey’s help.
It highlighted the buzz around Aston Martin’s ambitions. The team entered F1’s new era targeting race wins and, ultimately, championships.
The question now is whether those ambitions are still within reach. For now, Alonso appears no closer to another podium finish than he does to a third world title.
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