There will be no Red Bull Racing reunion at Aston Martin.
The Formula 1 team, which is owned by Canadian Lawrence Stoll, named Adrian Newey its new team principal on Wednesday, shutting down reports it was interested in Christian Horner for the leadership role.
Newey will be taking over the role from Andy Cowell starting in 2026 with the current team principal and CEO moving to the role of chief strategy officer.
“Andy Cowell and Adrian Newey have agreed to divide their responsibilities in order to focus on their individual strengths and expertise, ensuring organizational efficiency,” Aston Martin said in a statement posted on X.
The team said Cowell will be “using his unique experience to help optimize the technical partnership between the team, Honda, Aramco and Valvoline,” while Newey’s new role will include “trackside operations of the car.”
The news came after reports that Aston Martin was interested in hiring the former Red Bull boss, who was dismissed by the team in July.
Christian Horner misconduct allegations
Horner is an outspoken, controversial figure within Formula 1, having helped guide Red Bull to six constructors championships during his 20 years with the team, but also having been accused of sexual misconduct in 2024.
In September, Horner reached a settlement with Red Bull reportedly worth around $100 million US, which officially terminated his contract, allowing him to return to the sport in 2026.
Newey, 66, is renowned for his abilities in car design, having won 12 constructors titles over the course of a career in F1 that started in 1980.
He joined Aston Martin earlier this year as a shareholder and managing technical partner after having split with Red Bull amidst reports of a rift between himself and Horner.
“Over the last nine months, I have seen great individual talent within our team,” Newey said.
“I’m looking forward to taking on this additional role as we put ourselves in the best possible position to compete in 2026, where we will face an entirely new position with Aston Martin now a works team combined with the considerable challenge faced by the new regulations.”
Aston Martin’s performance in 2025
Cowell’s time as team principal was short, having taken over the role from Mike Krack at the start of this year.
“Andy Cowell has been a great leader this year,” Stroll said. “He’s focused on building a world-class team and getting them to work well together, as well as fostering a culture that puts the race car back at the heart of what we do.”
Aston Martin — with drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, the son of team owner Lawrence — sits in eighth place in the constructors standings with 72 points and two races remaining in the season.
Last year, the team finished in fifth place with 94 points, which was a massive 374 points behind fourth-place Mercedes.