Adrian Newey is planning to resign from his position as team principal at the Aston Martin Formula 1 team, with Jonathan Wheatley, the current Audi team boss, set to take over. Newey will be shifting his focus solely to technical matters due to Aston Martin’s disappointing start to the 2026 F1 season, fueled by power unit issues with new partner Honda that have hindered the performance of the AMR26 car. Wheatley, who has been working at Audi alongside CEO Mattia Binotto since last May, will be returning to England after just 10 months, depending on his Audi contract.
Located just 20 miles away from Red Bull’s F1 headquarters, Wheatley spent 20 years of his career with the team, making Aston Martin an attractive option for him amidst their current struggles. While at Audi, Wheatley had a relatively independent position reporting directly to the board, but working alongside Binotto restricted his freedom compared to the usual team principal role.
There are hints that Newey may have recommended or approved Wheatley’s appointment to owner Lawrence Stroll, given their long history at Red Bull. Newey’s recent promotion to team principal was short-lived, and the current crisis at Aston Martin has exacerbated the challenges. The question now is whether Audi will seek a new team principal or look to restructure internally by promoting from within the organization.
