Source:REUTERS/Hollie Adams
[Saba Sports News] Helmut Marko, the former Red Bull adviser, revealed that with Aston Martin enduring a nightmare start to the new season, Adrian Newey is currently “not in good form.” The various problems with the car cannot be resolved in the short term, and Marko believes Aston Martin faces a very long road to recovery. Marko and Newey worked side by side at Red Bull for nearly 20 years, and he said he has been in contact with Newey throughout this season.
Earlier this year Newey’s responsibilities at Aston Martin were expanded: in addition to his role leading technical collaboration, he was given some team principal responsibilities. Aston Martin also began a brand-new power unit partnership with Honda, but the start has been disastrous—the first two rounds were a complete catastrophe, with the AMR26 exposing shortcomings in both outright speed and reliability. The biggest issue stems from Honda’s battery, which has suffered excessive vibration and caused retirements for both Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso. Media speculation has intensified that Newey may relinquish team principal duties and refocus on his long-standing specialty: technical development.
The editor believes Marko’s assessment that Newey is “not in good form” is broadly accurate—but it reflects not a lack of personal ability on Newey’s part, rather the result of an out-of-control overall project at Aston Martin, role misallocation, and a cascade of technical failures.