Newey faces questions over Aston Martin’s F1 project as Johnny Herbert fears his magic may be fading – Adrian Newey’s arrival at Aston Martin was intended to help transform the team into a genuine Formula 1 title contender, but the early stages of the 2026 season have raised serious questions about whether that long-term plan is working.
The 67-year-old has been central to Aston Martin’s technical ambitions since joining the team, with owner Lawrence Stroll investing heavily in infrastructure, personnel and technology. The project also includes a new factory and wind tunnel, while two-time world champion Fernando Alonso remains part of the driver line-up.
Yet Aston Martin has struggled to translate those investments into competitive performance, leaving questions over how quickly Newey’s influence can produce the results the team expects.
Former F1 driver and race winner Johnny Herbert is now questioning whether the situation could represent a rare downturn for one of the sport’s most successful designers.
Herbert questions how Aston Martin got it so wrong
Speaking in an interview with a sports betting portal, Herbert highlighted the scale of Aston Martin’s investment and questioned why the team has been unable to produce a consistently competitive car.
“Look at everything Aston Martin has built, with Adrian Newey, the new factory, the wind tunnel and everything else. And they also have Fernando [Alonso] on board,” Herbert said.
The former Benetton, Sauber, Jaguar and BAR driver believes Aston Martin possesses many of the ingredients required to succeed in Formula 1.
However, the results have so far failed to match those ambitions.
“It’s hard to understand how everything could have gone so wrong. For some reason, Adrian hasn’t managed to put together a team that can build a good car. Not even one that’s remotely competitive,” Herbert judged.
While Newey carries significant responsibility for Aston Martin’s technical direction, the team’s performance cannot be attributed to one individual. Formula 1 car development involves hundreds of engineers and specialists, while the transition to a new technical era adds another layer of complexity.
Has Newey lost his touch?
Herbert went further by questioning whether Aston Martin’s struggles could eventually signal the beginning of the end for Newey’s remarkable reputation.
“Is this the end of Adrian Newey? The first sign that he’s in a downward spiral? In sports, this happens all the time, even to the best. It will always happen. And if it hasn’t happened yet, it inevitably will,” Herbert said.
That is a significant question given Newey’s extraordinary record in Formula 1.
The British designer has been involved in championship-winning projects with Williams, McLaren and Red Bull, helping produce cars that delivered multiple drivers’ and constructors’ titles.
His move to Aston Martin therefore generated enormous expectations, particularly with the team simultaneously building new infrastructure and preparing for major changes to its technical operation.
Aston Martin’s bigger test is still ahead
The difficulty for Aston Martin is that Newey’s appointment was never expected to provide an instant transformation.
Building a championship-winning organisation requires more than producing a fast car. Aston Martin must integrate its new technical facilities, recruit and retain key personnel, develop its operational structure and establish an effective development philosophy.
That means the 2026 results will be an important indicator, but they are unlikely to provide the final verdict on Newey’s Aston Martin project.
Herbert’s comments nevertheless underline the growing pressure surrounding the team. Newey’s reputation has created expectations that Aston Martin must eventually challenge at the front, and every disappointing season inevitably increases scrutiny.
For now, the central question is not whether Newey has suddenly forgotten how to design a Formula 1 car. It is whether Aston Martin can create the environment in which his expertise can once again produce a championship-winning machine.
If that happens, Herbert’s concerns will quickly become a footnote. If it does not, Aston Martin’s ambitious Newey era could become one of the most intriguing technical disappointments in modern F1.
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The Judge, a nom de plume of an experienced F1 journalist and site founder with long-standing sources across the paddock. 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.
