Aston Martin, Stroll comments on Newey rumors
The start of the F1 World Championship has exposed the difficulties ofAston Martinand the first two races have accelerated the process of change needed in the Silverstone team to close the wide gap with the competition. It is no coincidence that after Shanghai rumors emerged about a reorganization of the team, with Adrian Newey who would return to focus exclusively on the technical side, leaving the role of team principal.
The Aston Martin press release
Aston Martin is therefore looking for a new team principal, but this does not mean that Newey is abandoning ship. Indeed, he is more involved than ever, as Lawrence pointed out Stroll in a just released statement: “As executive chairman and controlling shareholder, I would like to reiterate that Adrian is my partner and a significant shareholder. He is the technical manager of Aston Martin, and between us there is a real collaborative relationship based on a common vision of the company’s success. We do things differently here, and while we don’t currently adopt the traditional Team Principal role seen elsewhere, that’s a deliberate choice“.
“As the most successful engineer in the history of the sport, Adrian’s primary focus is on strategic and technical leadership, where he excels. It is supported by a highly qualified management team to guarantee results in all aspects of the activity, both on campus and on the track“, continued the Canadian. “We are regularly contacted by senior managers from other teams who wish to join Aston Martin, but, in line with our policy, we do not comment on rumors and speculation“.
The last passage evidently refers to the probable arrival of Jonathan Wheatleywho has just left his role as Audi team principal for personal reasons. Evidently the Briton hasn’t settled in perfectly in Switzerland, but he would hardly have left without the offer from Aston Martin. An offer that has arrived and denotes Newey’s great trust in Wheatley, with whom he has already worked at Red Bull. The designer will remain team principal until the arrival of the now former Audi: a dynamic that will however have to wait months to materialize, as Wheatley will be subject to the gardening leave.
