Adrian Newey blasted for Aston Martin F1 disaster: 'He should have designed the engine'

Adrian Newey staring into space at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix press conference — Photo: © IMAGO

Aston Martin F1

Adrian Newey blasted for Aston Martin disaster: 'He should have designed the engine'

Aston Martin had a miserable first race week in Australia

Chris Deeley

Friday 13 March 2026 17:10

Former F1 team manager Peter Windsor has suggested that Adrian Newey is to blame for Aston Martin's Honda engine problems.

Windsor, who had a brief stint as Williams' Team Manager in the early 1990s before returning to his old career of motorsport journalism, has suggested that Newey should have taken a much bigger hand in engine development last year.

Newey is widely recognised as the greatest car designer and aerodynamicist in the sport's history, rather than an engine designer, but Windsor has called it 'ludicrous' that he wasn't in Japan overseeing Honda's processes, saying 'what was he doing between March and November, if he wasn't in Japan, I don't get it'.

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Presumably, the 67-year-old had been doing the kind of chassis design he's famous for, having been put behind the 8-ball when he was forced to wait until March to start working with the team while his gardening leave from Red Bull went on.

What is undeniable, though, is that it is truly bizarre that nobody from Aston Martin was aware until November that most of Honda's experienced F1 engine team had been reassigned to other projects, with new staff hired in their place.

F1 HEADLINES: Aston Martin short on parts as Alonso preps for Chinese GP nightmare

Windsor: Power unit was always going to be key

As things stand, the team are coming into the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend with a car which appears unable to complete a race distance, with that Honda engine the source of many of their problems – although it's also been noted that the team's gearbox isn't entirely up to scratch either.

Speaking on Cameron Cc:'s YouTube channel this week, Windsor said: "The technical director is in charge of the engine program as well, of course he is, and he should have been over there designing the engine for them, doing whatever.

"It's ludicrous. What was he doing between March and November, if he wasn't in Japan, I don't get it. Most critical part of the new car was going to be the power unit. Always.

"I think it'll be a quick car by the end of the year. Interesting thing then will be what happens with Fernando, probably too late then."

Windsor, of course, is well aware of what it looks like to oversee a team which fails to produce a competitive car to start a season. Indeed, he and Ken Anderson's US F1 Team failed to ever bring a car to an F1 race, instead shutting down operations a handful of days before their 'debut' 2010 season.

Aston Martin Adrian Newey