Aston Martin tech guru Adrian Newey has likened the upcoming F1 2026 regulations to the rule changes of 2022, revealing there is more scope for “innovation” than first thought.

It comes after he played an instrumental role in Red Bull emerging as F1’s dominant force following the sport’s last major rules changes three years ago.

Adrian Newey leading development of Aston Martin’s F1 2026 car

Newey is currently working on Aston Martin’s car for the F1 2026 season, which will coincide with the start of the Silverstone-based team’s works partnership with Red Bull’s current engine suppliers Honda, in his role as managing technical partner.

The 66-year-old stands as the most decorated individual in F1 history with involvement in more than 200 race wins and a combined 26 Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships for the likes of Williams, McLaren and Red Bull.

Red Bull reclaimed their place as F1’s dominant team following the introduction of the ground-effect regulations in 2022, with Max Verstappen producing the most dominant season in history by winning 19 of a possible 22 races with the all-conquering RB19 car in 2023.

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With less then a year to go before the new rules arrive, much scepticism surrounds the F1 2026 regulations, which will see the sport embrace 50 per cent electrification, fully sustainable fuels and active aerodynamics.

However, Newey has claimed that the rules offer more room for innovation and creativity than he initially assumed, teasing that teams could come up with a number of different solutions for F1 2026.

He told Aston Martin’s official website: “My thoughts on the ’26 regulations are similar to what my thoughts were about the big regulation change for 2022: initially thinking the regulations were so prescriptive that there wasn’t much left here [for a designer].

“But then you start to drill into the detail and realise there’s more flexibility for innovation and different approaches than first meets the eye.

“We saw that at the start of 2022, with teams taking really quite different directions.

“Now, of course, four seasons on, they’ve largely converged, but initially that wasn’t the case.

“Variation between teams is great. It’s all a bit boring if the cars look identical and the only way you can tell them apart is the livery.

“I think there’s a high probability that in ’26 we’ll see something similar to ’22.

“There’s enough flexibility in the regulations, and I’m sure people will come up with different solutions.

“Some of those will be dropped over the first two or three years as teams start to converge.”

A respected F1 reporter claimed last month that all but one engine manufacturer is experiencing serious trouble with the development of their new power units for F1 2026, with two thought to be ‘a long way behind’ the clear pacesetters.

Another, meanwhile, is believed to be struggling with an ‘uncompetitive’ engine having elected for a different form of biofuel for F1 2026 compared to its rivals, all of which have opted for synthetic fuel.

Newey has admitted it is “slightly scary” that both the engine and chassis rules are changing at the same time, doubling down on his prediction that power units are likely to be a key performance differentiator next season.

And he conceded that Honda are affectively “playing catch up” having officially withdrawn from F1 at the end of the 2021 season, with the Japanese manufacturer returning on a full-time basis with Aston Martin next year.

Newey said: “The other aspect of this is that, for the first time I can remember, we’ve got both the chassis regulations and power unit regulations changing at the same time.

“This is… interesting… and slightly scary.

“Both the new aerodynamic rules and the PU regulations present opportunities.

“I would expect to see a range of aero solutions and there could be variation in PU performance across the grid to begin with – which is what happened when the hybrid regulations first came in, in 2014.

“Next year marks the start of our works partnership with Honda.

“I’ve got a lot of trust in Honda and a huge amount of respect for them, having worked with them before.

“They took a year out of F1 and so, to some extent, they’re playing catch up, but they’re a great group of engineers and very much an engineering-led company.”

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Newey’s comments come after Koji Watanabe, the president of the Honda Racing Corporation, admitted that the Japanese manufacturer are “struggling” with the demands of the F1 2026 rules.

Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com at the Daytona 24-hour race in January, Mr Watanabe said: “Not so easy. We are struggling. Now we are trying our best to show the result next year.

“Everything is new.

“The motor is a new 355-kW, very compact one we need. Also the lightweight battery, it’s not so easy to develop. And also the small engine with the big power.

“Everything is very difficult, but we try our best.”

It is believed that Mr Watanabe, who was speaking in a second language, was making a more general comment on the challenges facing engine manufacturers for F1 2026 rather than offering a specific update on Honda’s progress.

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