Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard has delivered a scathing assessment of Aston Martin’s decision to promote legendary designer Adrian Newey to team principal, describing the move as a “PR own goal” that has backfired spectacularly. Speaking candidly about his former colleague, with whom he worked at both McLaren and Red Bull, Coulthard argued that the appointment misuses one of motorsport’s greatest technical minds in a role fundamentally unsuited to his strengths.
The criticism comes as Aston Martin endures a turbulent 2026 season plagued by reliability problems with their Honda power unit, including severe vibration issues that have hampered drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Coulthard, who spent much of his racing career alongside Newey, expressed surprise at the appointment, stating: “I, having spent most of my career working with Adrian, would never have seen him as a team principal. He is technically driven, he’s a racer, he is a problem solver from a technical point of view.”
The Scottish former driver emphasized that modern Formula 1 team principals require significant political acumen and media management skills—areas where the 60-something Newey may be less comfortable. “The politics of Formula 1, which is what the team principal has to deal with a lot, and the politics which are sometimes created with the media as well, is not at all; and especially at Adrian’s stage of life in his 60s,” Coulthard explained, noting that people become less willing to take on certain responsibilities as they age.
Coulthard particularly criticized how team owner Lawrence Stroll handled the public messaging around the appointment, suggesting the entire episode has damaged the team’s credibility. Despite Stroll’s recent statements reaffirming that Newey remains a partner with shareholding in the team and that they’re proceeding with the original long-term plan, Coulthard believes the damage is done. “It created a scenario of questioning from the majority of people who were questioning, ‘does that really work?’ Now, it’s kind of like, as we thought, it was never going to work,” he concluded, while acknowledging that the controversy doesn’t diminish Newey’s unmatched legacy as a designer.