Adrian Newey identifies simulator correlation issues at Aston Martin F1, a challenge that could slow progress ahead of 2026 regulations.
Newey has revealed a major flaw in one of Aston Martin F1’s new investments, which could hinder its progress in Formula 1.
The design genius was recruited by Aston Martin to help transform the team into a major force in F1 during the new regulatory era starting in 2026.
However, while he has been impressed by many of the team’s facilities and personnel since his arrival in March, Newey has discovered that a correlation issue with its simulator is holding the team back.
Newey Flags Simulator Delay
This simulator, installed in Aston Martin’s brand-new state-of-the-art factory in Silverstone, became operational in 2024, even before the new wind tunnel went online.
Newey says the mismatch between the simulator’s data and the car’s real on-track performance is hampering the 2026 car development plans and preventing the team from preparing as well as it would like for current race weekends.
And it’s a problem that could take a few years to fix!
“I think it’s fair to say that some of our tools are weak, particularly the driver simulator. It requires a lot of work because there is no correlation at the moment, for what is a fundamental research tool. The lack of correlation is a limitation.”
“But we just have to work around the problem for now, then put together a plan to get it to the desired level. But realistically, it’s probably a two-year project.”
Newey Stresses Simulator Modelling
Newey explained that the lack of necessary feedback from the simulator is a short- and long-term issue.
“It’s a handicap, but hard to assess. Driver-in-the-loop simulators are used in two ways: firstly, as a research tool, to design next year’s car and combine all tools to better model it. Secondly, of course, to develop the car’s setup, especially for specific race weekends.”
“So we’re going to be a bit blind on that for a while. We’ll just have to rely on our experience and common sense. Time will tell. It’s a software issue rather than a hardware one.”
Newey offered some insight into the simulator problem, suggesting that physical modelling is far more essential than the hardware itself for achieving accurate correlation.
“You can have the best motion system in the world, but without the modelling that goes with it, nor the correlation with the aero model, nor with the tyre model, etc., it’s useless.”
Newey Downplays Wind Tunnel
The weakness of Aston Martin’s simulator may explain why the team has struggled so much to upgrade its F1 cars in recent years, as changes tested at the factory failed to yield the necessary feedback.
And while focus is often placed on a team’s strengths based on the state of its wind tunnel, Newey believes its current role is not so crucial.
Speaking about Aston Martin’s facilities, Newey said: “The factory is probably the best F1 factory, and the wind tunnel is arguably the best in F1.”
“These days, wind tunnels are quite complex tools, so they’re still under development. Productivity is not there yet, as we’re still in the development phase.”
“But ultimately, wind tunnels are a bit like test benches. You need them, and of course, a very high-quality wind tunnel is better than a less capable one.”
“But in the end, that’s not really what makes the difference. It’s the human aspect. It’s the design that goes into it.”
Newey Targets Team Structure
Newey believes another area where improvements are needed at Aston Martin is in its structure, to better leverage the available talent.
“There are a lot of very, very capable individuals. It’s just a matter of trying to get them to work together, perhaps a bit more systematically.”
“I think that’s simply due to the fact that the team was born out of Jordan, then Force India, then Racing Point.”
“So it was always a small team, but slightly overachieving. But now, in a very short time, it’s a very big team that, in reality, has underperformed this year.”
“I think it’s mostly about helping everyone learn how to get the best out of each individual.”
And Newey says everyone is very receptive to his ideas, including staff who may be unsettled by a technical reorganisation.
“Everyone has been very welcoming. It’s been very easy to integrate into this team. My first task, of course, while designing the 2026 F1 car and talking to everyone, has been to try to understand how the team operates, its strengths and weaknesses, to work on those strengths and put together a plan to address the weaknesses.”
“Everyone understands that this big team needs to be better reorganised because the current results show it’s still not the most effective. There will be reorganisation, and some quick changes have already been implemented.”
Newey Reveals What Could Entice Verstappen to Join Aston Martin F1
“Max likes to reduce things to a single common equation”
Adrian Newey has outlined the one criterion that would interest Max Verstappen in reuniting with him at Aston Martin F1.
After 19 seasons at Red Bull, during which the legendary designer helped Verstappen become a multiple Formula 1 world champion, Newey left the team a year ago, uncertain at the time about his future.
A few months later, Aston Martin confirmed it had hired the 66-year-old as Chief Technical Partner, starting in March.
Since Newey’s departure from Red Bull, speculation has swirled about a possible move by Verstappen to the Silverstone-based team. Newey’s design genius is a natural draw for the four-time world champion.
However, Newey made it clear that neither he nor the eye-watering sums rumored to lure Verstappen from Red Bull to Aston Martin are the motivating factors behind a potential move.
“Max clearly has phenomenal talent and is an outstanding competitor,” Newey said in Monaco, attending his first Grand Prix since joining Aston Martin.
“That means, in part, that Max likes to reduce things to a single common equation, and in this case, it’s choosing the team he believes will provide the fastest car.”
“So if we want to attract Max, the first thing we need to do is build a fast car.”
When asked when he and the team might be able to do that, with new regulations looming for next year, Newey replied: “I have absolutely no idea.”
“When I saw the 2026 regulations, my first reaction was the same as it was with 2022: ‘Oh my God, there’s not much freedom left.’ But then, when you get into the details, there is some flexibility. Of course, I’d always like more.”
“I imagine you’ll see different solutions at the start of next year. Then, of course, as happened with these current regulations, after three or four seasons everyone will start to converge. Hopefully towards our solution (laughs).”
Asked whether Verstappen could make the difference in an Aston Martin compared to other title contenders, he answered: “Max, as I said, is a phenomenal driver, a phenomenal competitor. That’s just a dream for the future.”
For Newey, Aston Martin already has a line-up he feels he can rely on.
Approaching his 44th birthday, Fernando Alonso shows no signs of slowing down. The double world champion remains physically, mentally, and tactically as sharp as at any point in his illustrious career. For many observers, Lance Stroll remains in F1 only because of his father Lawrence, who runs the team. But Newey strongly defended Stroll.
“I think Lance has an unfairly poor reputation, in my opinion, when compared to his teammates: Checo [Perez], Nico Hülkenberg, Sebastian Vettel, and now Fernando. He’s always been there. Every driver who makes it to Formula 1 is clearly very good, but I think Lance is much faster than he’s given credit for.”
Regarding Alonso, Newey clearly holds the Spanish driver in high regard and is now happy to work with him after competing against him for so many years.
“He’s a really cool character. He was an enemy for many years, just like Lewis [Hamilton].”
“I think I’ve said before that you can only work with a limited number of drivers, but two drivers, in a relatively modern context, that I would have liked to work with are Lewis and Fernando. I haven’t worked with either, so at least I’ll have worked with one of them.”
“It’s only when you get to the racetrack that you really begin to build that relationship, so I’m looking forward to developing that a bit this season, but especially next season.”
Cowell Had ‘Some Helpful Conversations’ with Newey in Monaco
First Grand Prix in green paddock colors for Newey.
During the last qualifying session in Imola, Aston Martin F1 caused a surprise: Fernando Alonso finished 5th, and Lance Stroll 8th.
If Aston Martin F1 achieves a similar performance in Monaco, it could be a jackpot in the Constructors’ standings.
But are the upgrades that worked so well in Italy falling short in Monaco? Or is this circuit simply too atypical?
“Hard to say, to be honest. They worked well in Imola. We’re not doing a comparison here,” confirmed the team CEO, Andy Cowell.
“We were happy with the data we got from Imola. So, both cars are simply running all the updated parts from the start of FP1, and we’ll optimize from there.”
This weekend got off to a bad start for Lance Stroll, who has already received a grid penalty. It seems the Canadian wasn’t warned over the radio about Charles Leclerc’s arrival. Was this a mistake on Aston Martin F1’s part?
“Yes. Our radio call wasn’t clear enough, that’s the bottom line. So we need to learn from that.”
“Broken rear suspension arm, floor damage. The best option is to change the gearbox because we had prepared two gearboxes on Thursday [the day before FP1] for exactly this kind of scenario.”
“And the downside is that Lance doesn’t get that time back — you can’t recover FP1. Those are the laps he missed.”
“In terms of setup and learning, it’s then Fernando’s running that gets transferred across to both cars moving forward.”
Newey’s First Weekend at a Grand Prix with Aston Martin F1
It took until the Monaco Grand Prix to see Adrian Newey attend a race with his new green team colors — what Christian Horner jokingly called “snot green.”
How is this first immersive weekend going for Newey, according to CEO Cowell?
“Adrian was warmly welcomed at the factory in March and is being warmly welcomed here. So it’s great to have him with the engineers during meetings, helping analyze how we look at data, how we set up the car, and also in the garage to see how everything comes together.”
“Yes, everyone is genuinely thrilled to have him on board.”
How involved is Newey in this first weekend? Is he merely observing or playing an active role?
“He’s got his notebook. He’s watching everything very carefully. The pencil has definitely made some notes.”
“He and I have had some conversations, and the to-do list is growing, but it’s all good, positive actions to help us move forward.”
Newey might well be taking a look at the controversial braking or cooling systems on the McLaren F1… But like Toto Wolff, Andy Cowell suspects no wrongdoing.
“I guess we’ve all experienced success, and we know it’s very rare for there to be a silver bullet for performance. It’s about attention to detail everywhere.”
“And I think that’s McLaren’s secret right now. They’ve just refined every aspect extremely well and brought it all together. That’s the challenge we’ve set ourselves — to catch up.”
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