Guenther Steiner questions Adrian Newey’s strengths as an F1 Team Principal
Originally published by Motorsportweek
Despite being widely considered the greatest Formula 1 designer in the sport’s history, Adrian Newey has faced criticism from ex-Haas boss Guenther Steiner.
Newey’s success covers multiple championships through different eras and regulations. When he left Red Bull for Aston Martin, it felt as though the success would follow.
However, 2026 has been a year riddled with difficulties for the team. It has struggled to finish a Grand Prix, let alone fight for wins, contending with the problems within its Honda engine, which is causing potentially nerve-damaging vibrations for its drivers.
Over the off-season, Newey was promoted to Team Principal, a move that came as a surprise, given he was hired for his strengths as a designer.
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Steiner confused by the promotion
Guenther Steiner, the Ex-Team Principal of Haas, gave his two cents on the promotion. He criticised Aston Martin for not playing to Newey’s ‘strengths’.
“I think if you would ask Adrian, he would say, ‘I don’t know why I did this or why I agreed to this.’” he said on the Drive to Wynn podcast.
“I don’t know how it happened, if he wanted to be Team Principal or not, but that’s obviously not where his strength is.”
“He’s very good at what he’s doing, which is designing cars – obviously not the Aston Martin at the moment, but he will fix it.”
Steiner believes the decision came from Newey’s camp rather than the team’s.
“I think it was an Adrian thing, ‘I need to be Team Principal’. Not knowing what being a Team Principal involves. Therefore, it didn’t last long.
“It shows you should always put the people where their strength is, never overpromote them.”
After just three races into the season, reports suggest Aston Martin is hoping to appoint Jonathan Wheatley as Team Principal, putting Newey back in charge of car design.
As the Silverstone-based team looks ahead to a long season, it feels logical that the team put the greatest F1 car designer back in the department where he can effectively help the team take steps forward.
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