Lack of 'Newey effect' at Aston Martin 'surprising'

Apr.9 (GMM) A former Formula 1 driver is surprised the ‘Adrian Newey effect’ is not yet being seen at Aston Martin.

The recently-departed Red Bull design guru only started work at Aston Martin a month ago, and it is well-known that he is primarily focused on the 2026 project.

However, the team has a brand new, highly sophisticated wind tunnel now up and running. “It’s only just started,” Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de la Rosa told DAZN, “and we haven’t had time to test an improvement.

“We’ll have to wait a little longer, be a little more patient and wait for the improvements to be introduced on track.”

Fernando Alonso admitted last weekend that Newey is yet to have any “big ideas” about Aston Martin’s 2025 car, which is even less impressive than the similarly-struggling 2024 single seater.

As far as former Minardi driver Christijan Albers is concerned, the team’s decline since early 2023 – even despite owner Lawrence Stroll’s huge investments – is shocking.

“You can’t always stay at the top, it’s always changing,” he told De Telegraaf. “The thing that I am shocked and surprised about is that there is really no upward movement at Aston Martin anymore.”

Albers even thinks the month that Newey has been at the drawing board for should have had an effect by now.

“I expected Newey to give a certain direction, and that the car would come closer,” said the Dutchman.

“When Dan Fallows switched to Aston Martin and copied everything from Red Bull, they were there right away. They were suddenly competitive and Fernando Alonso was on the podium.

“So I definitely expected something – but that is not the case.”