Franz Tost is convinced that Adrian Newey can build a competitive car for Aston Martin next year. With the AMR26, the British master designer delivered a radical concept, but due to the disappointing performance of the power unit, the team has not yet been able to show its potential. Tost continues to believe in Newey’s qualities, although he adds one caveat: the Englishman must be fit enough to continue his work.
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Tost was asked about the current situation at Aston Martin during a guest appearance on the podcast 15 Love – Der Business. In the run-up to 2026 and the new regulatory era, expectations were high. However, it soon became clear that the new Honda engine falls short on several fronts. Still, Tost remains confident in the project, partly thanks to Newey’s influence. “Adrian Newey only became involved with Aston Martin relatively late,” he noted. “I don’t think that happened before April last year, and for a project of this scale, that is far from ideal.”
Health issues
“There is still a lot to improve,” the Austrian admitted. “But if his health allows it, he will be able to design a competitive car for 2027. I am convinced of that.” Those concerns about Newey’s health are not unfounded. According to the latest rumors, he is suffering from an unknown condition. Aston Martin does not comment on such speculations, but it is known that the 67-year-old aerodynamics guru has not attended a single race weekend since the opening race in Australia.
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Another question is the competitiveness of Honda. The Japanese engine supplier has faced a lot of criticism in recent months, precisely because the power unit hampered Aston Martin in the opening phase of the season. Tost, who worked closely with the Japanese at the then AlphaTauri, however, expresses his confidence in the engineers. “Honda will solve these problems by next year at the latest,” he assured with conviction. Although he acknowledges that the first design for 2026 does not meet expectations, he has no doubt that Honda has enough expertise to fix the current shortcomings.
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