Mar.6 (GMM) Aston Martin’s deepening crisis has left the team unable to move on from Adrian Newey even if it wanted to, according to former F1 driver and paddock analyst Ivan Capelli.
Speaking to Corriere della Sera, Capelli said the Briton’s shareholder status has effectively made him untouchable at a moment when the team is struggling badly with vibration problems from its Honda power unit that are threatening to prevent both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll from completing race distance in Melbourne.
“It seemed like it would be the most coveted target for 2027, but instead it’s a question mark,” Capelli said of Aston Martin.
“The technical problems, stemming from the Honda power unit, are masking other issues. Newey, a true genius, has always had bosses above him who gave him scope and precise timelines – Patrick Head at Williams, Ron Dennis at McLaren, Christian Horner at Red Bull.
“Today he’s team principal and designer, and, lo and behold, the car arrived late due to the desire to change some details right up to the last minute. Furthermore, he has to deal with a series of organisational issues, things he hadn’t thought of before.
“And he can’t even be removed because he’s a shareholder.”
On the wider 2026 regulations, Capelli said the situation remains fluid. “There’s been discussion about the maximum kilowatts to use for charging. The maximum is 350 – Aston Martin has stated it can’t even reach that. The others are struggling to utilise the full electric component.
“On the track, they were testing with 200-250 kW – everything is still evolving.”
He pushed back on F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali’s suggestion that teething problems will iron themselves out within a few races. “I think it will continue to be like this,” Capelli said.
“Despite the scale of the innovation, the top four teams will be close – Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull. However, there will be a significant gap with the others, who will be about a second behind.”
On Ferrari’s strong start, Capelli credited Charles Leclerc’s contribution to development work. “The car on the track has proven to be much better than the 2025 one in testing. Leclerc has done a specific job of improving performance – modifications to the rear end, the ‘Macarena’ rear wing. In short, an aggressive approach.”
He also doubts Lewis Hamilton will immediately match his teammate. “I have the feeling that Leclerc still has a few tenths left in the tank. Lewis wasn’t particularly fluid in the corners – he wasn’t driving instinctively.
“For me, Charles will still be ahead, at least initially.”
On Kimi Antonelli, fellow Italian Capelli was bullish. “He’s very motivated and more mature in his attitude. He’s measured Russell and knows his strengths and weaknesses. His mentality will make the difference.”
Further down the field, Capelli was also complimentary about several midfield contenders. “The Audi, despite its rather bulky shape, seems well-balanced in the corners. The Alpine could be the surprise, and the Haas is interesting.”
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