Silly season in F1 may have already begun, as Autosport is reporting that Adrian Newey is expected to step down from his position as Team Principal of the Aston Martin Formula 1 team.
Newey left Red Bull Racing to join Aston Martin, with the expectation being that his genius as a car designer would take that team from the back of the field straight to the front (and eventual World Championship wins). Instead, the 2026 season has gotten off to a disastrous start.
That includes issues with the Honda engine that have made it so the car can't even finish a race, as well as vibrations that run the risk of causing permanent injury to drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.
According to the site, "Autosport understands Newey will step down in order to focus exclusively on technical matters, as Aston Martin has experienced a more than underwhelming start to the 2026 F1 season."
Eyebrows were raised when Newey was announced as Team Principal. After all, that position wouldn't exactly allow him to focus on car design and development, and while his being distracted can't be solely blamed for Aston Martin's woes, it clear he's needed elsewhere.
Here's where things get particularly interesting, though. The report states that the current Audi Team Principal, Jonathan Wheatley, is being lined up to replace Newey at Aston Martin.
After spending 20 years of his career working at Red Bull, he's been part of Audi's launch since last May, alongside former Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto. It's not clear why he would leave the team this soon or how that would work with his current contract situation.
For what it's worth, Aston Martin has issued a statement to address the speculation. "The team will not be engaging in media speculation about its senior leadership team," it reads. "Adrian Newey continues to lead the team as Team Principal and Managing Technical Partner."
While we're only two races into the current season, it's been a challenging start for multiple teams. Many drivers are unhappy with the sweeping regulation changes, while Red Bull and McLaren both find themselves on the back foot after a tense Championship battle in 2025.
Back to Aston Martin, though, and all eyes will be on whether they can now turn things around. It certainly won't happen overnight, and Newey's impact on the team may not be felt until deep into the 2027 season.