Adrian Newey has made his first public appearance since joining Aston Martin at the beginning of March. The legendary designer is on the pit wall at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Newey, who was named as Aston’s managing technical partner last September, is primarily focused on the 2026 car. This makes sense given the scale of the regulation changes and the timing of his arrival.
But his presence in Monte Carlo allows him to study the team’s working methods up close. Newey has also been offering advice to engineers over lunch at Aston Martin’s factory.
Team owner Lawrence Stroll views Newey as the centrepiece of his bid to win the F1 title. The 66-year-old’s track record is beyond dispute, but there are question marks over the drivers.
Fernando Alonso is a two-time world champion Newey has always wanted to work with. But he’ll be 44 by the start of next season.
And while he’s scored a pole position and three podiums, the career of Lance Stroll has been characterised by inconsistency. Stroll has more Q1 exits than any driver in the sport’s history.
Adrian Newey says Lance Stroll is a ‘much better’ driver than he’s made out to be
Speaking to the media at the Monaco GP, Newey explained why criticism of Stroll is unfair. He feels that the Canadian has held his own against some of the strongest drivers on the grid, including two world champions.
Stroll has scored all 14 of Aston Martin’s points this season, though Alonso has had the edge in 13 of the 15 sessions where both drivers have been classified.
Under contract until 2026, Stroll’s seat is protected by the presence of his father Lawrence, who owns the team. Newey feels that the former Williams driver is underrated.
“Lance, I think, has an unfairly bad driver rap,” Newey said, via Motorsport. “When you compare him against team-mates he’s been up against, Checo and Nico Hulkenberg and Sebastian, and now Fernando, then he’s been right there.
“Any driver who gets to Formula 1 is clearly very good, but I think Lance is much better than people give him credit for.”
What Adrian Newey said about Lance Stroll in private before Monaco Grand Prix debut
Stroll was visibly enthused by the prospect of working with Newey. He’s often accused of looking disengaged, but he can be more excited about the team’s future than ever.
Over the winter, a report in the UK press claimed that Newey told close confidantes Stroll wasn’t ‘good enough’. But he’s publicly changed his tune since.
Indeed, after speaking to the designer, Ralf Schumacher said Newey was positively surprised by Stroll when they started working together.
His defence of the 26-year-old doesn’t necessarily stand up to scrutiny, though. Since joining Aston Martin when they were known as Racing Point, Stroll has scored 260 points, while his teammates have picked up 533.
That leads one to suspect that Newey is feeling the pressure from his boss Stroll Sr, or maybe he genuinely thinks the driver will come alive next year in what he hopes will be a contending car.
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