Aston Martin’s troubled 2026 Formula 1 season took another damaging turn in Montreal, where Fernando Alonso retired from the Canadian Grand Prix due to an unusual ‘seat problem’ after a weekend filled with crashes, fines, and operational errors.
Yet, beyond the immediate chaos at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, attention in the paddock is increasingly focused on a much larger issue hanging over the Silverstone-based team: the continued absence of Adrian Newey.
The legendary designer has been away from the Formula 1 pit wall and the Silverstone factory while recovering from ongoing health issues, and uncertainty is growing over how involved he is in Aston Martin’s attempt to rescue the ill-fated AMR26 project.
According to individuals familiar with the situation at the factory who spoke to this website recently, Newey has rarely been seen at Silverstone in recent weeks, and it is thought unlikely that he will return to a traditional team principal-style leadership role.
This supports an update that TJ13 published back in March, which suggested that Newey would not continue as principal at Aston Martin and was already regularly absent from the factory, before his health issues became common knowledge.
Against this backdrop, speculation has intensified following a strange incident involving former Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend.
Alonso’s retirement capped a disastrous weekend for Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso’s weekend got off to a bad start before his race-ending retirement. The two-time world champion crashed during sprint qualifying, while his teammate Lance Stroll encountered suspension issues before the sprint race had even started, forcing the Canadian to begin from the pit lane.
The situation worsened further as Aston Martin accumulated FIA penalties during Grand Prix qualifying. First, the team received a €5,000 fine for an unsafe release involving Alonso; then, another €7,500 penalty was issued after Stroll left the garage while his car was deemed to be in an unsafe condition.
The team later opted to alter Stroll’s setup under parc fermé conditions, resulting in another pit lane start as engineers searched for answers with the challenging AMR26 package.
Another layer of embarrassment for Aston Martin
Then came Alonso’s retirement. Around one-third of the way through the Grand Prix, the Spaniard was instructed to stop the car due to what Aston Martin officially described as ‘a problem with his seat’.
While this may sound minor, seat issues in modern Formula 1 cars can be extremely serious. Seats are deeply integrated into the design of the chassis, affecting driver positioning, weight distribution, and the car’s overall balance. Even slight movement can make a car unpredictable at high speed.
Similar problems have affected Formula 1 before. Daniel Ricciardo famously retired from the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix with similar discomfort and instability issues. However, such failures remain exceptionally rare among elite teams.
This added another layer of embarrassment to a season that is slipping away rapidly.
Newey’s reduced presence raises deeper questions
A wider concern for Aston Martin is whether the organisation currently has the leadership structure required to recover from its mounting difficulties.
When Lawrence Stroll secured Adrian Newey’s services, the move was widely viewed as transformational for Aston Martin’s long-term ambitions. The expectation, both internally and externally, was that Newey would become the central technical figure shaping the team’s future under Formula 1’s new regulations.
However, his ongoing absence has created increasing uncertainty.
Sources who work at the factory speaking to TJ13 have indicated that morale at the Aston Martin is currently low, particularly as the AMR26 continues to struggle with competitiveness and operational consistency. Alonso sits fifteenth in the drivers’ championship, while Aston Martin languishes ninth in the constructors’ standings, despite enormous investment in facilities, staff and infrastructure.
There is also growing doubt over how much direct influence Newey can realistically exert on the current project while remaining largely absent from day-to-day trackside and factory operations, whilst recovering from illness.
Some insiders now believe that Aston Martin is trying to navigate one of the most important technical resets in its history without the active leadership it expected from Newey.
This has inevitably fuelled speculation surrounding possible structural changes.
Jonathan Wheatley’s “printing error” has sparked fresh intrigue
One of the strangest moments of the Canadian Grand Prix weekend occurred away from the circuit itself.
Kym Illman, the F1 photographer, shared an image on social media showing a reserved parking sign bearing the words: ‘Jonathan Wheatley, Aston Martin.’ The sign reportedly appeared in the team principal’s parking area at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
The photographer wrote, “This sign appeared today in the team principal’s parking lot here in Montreal. Is Jonathan Wheatley now officially the team principal of Aston Martin, or is this just a mistake? Either way, it is fascinating.”
The image immediately triggered widespread speculation across the paddock.
Former Red Bull boss remains in line for the Aston Martin job?
Wheatley, formerly one of Red Bull’s most influential senior figures, left Audi earlier this year after a short period working on the German manufacturer’s Formula 1 project. Since then, he has repeatedly been linked with several senior management positions throughout the paddock.
At Aston Martin, his name has increasingly surfaced in conversations surrounding a possible reshaping of the leadership structure, particularly if Newey ultimately prefers to concentrate solely on engineering rather than broader management responsibilities.
Sources familiar with internal discussions suggest that Newey himself has previously supported the idea of bringing in additional experienced operational leadership.
The Canadian Grand Prix promoter later attempted to calm speculation by issuing a statement blaming the incident on a “printing error”.
“We are aware of the printing error that occurred yesterday,” a spokesperson said. ‘The problem has now been resolved. We offer our sincere apologies for any confusion this may have caused.’
Yet, within the paddock, few dismissed the incident as a coincidence entirely.
Aston Martin is facing a defining period
The upcoming Spanish Grand Prix is now increasingly important for Aston Martin’s season — and potentially for the direction of the entire project.
Operational mistakes, reliability concerns, and strategic uncertainty have become recurring themes throughout 2026. More worrying still is the perception that confidence within the organisation is beginning to erode.
Aston Martin invested heavily in order to establish itself as Formula 1’s next title contender. However, the team currently appears to be caught between long-term ambition and short-term instability.
With Adrian Newey still absent from the front line and even absent from the factory, questions continue to grow over who is truly steering the AMR26 recovery effort at one of Formula 1’s most heavily scrutinised teams.
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With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
Craig.J. Alderson is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Craig oversees newsroom operations and coordinates editorial output across the site. With a background in online sports reporting and motorsport magazine editing, he plays a key role in maintaining consistency, speed, and accuracy in TJ13’s coverage.
During race weekends, Craig acts as desk lead, directing contributors, prioritising breaking stories, and ensuring timely publication across a fast-moving news cycle.
Craig’s work focuses heavily on real-time developments in the paddock, including team updates, regulatory decisions, and emerging controversies. This role requires a detailed understanding of Formula 1’s operational flow, from practice sessions through to race-day strategy and post-race fallout.
With experience managing editorial teams, Craig ensures that TJ13 delivers structured, reliable coverage while maintaining the site’s distinctive voice.
Craig has a particular interest in how information moves within the paddock environment, and how rapidly developing stories can be accurately translated into clear, accessible reporting for readers.
