Aston Martin have confirmed that legendary car designer Adrian Newey will make his return to the Formula 1 paddock this weekend at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Newey has not been seen in a public-facing role since the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in early March, marking a significant absence from the sport.
It was in Melbourne where the full extent of Aston Martin’s struggles first became apparent, with serious concerns raised even before a single lap had been completed in anger.
Newey had voiced his concerns that the Honda engine had underdelivered, and warned that neither Fernando Alonso nor Lance Stroll would be able to finish a race due to severe vibration issues.
Those vibrations posed a genuine risk of causing permanent nerve damage to the drivers, and Newey’s fears proved well-founded when both drivers failed to finish the Australian Grand Prix.
Aston Martin’s chief trackside officer Mike Krack confirmed Newey’s return to Monaco, speaking to the media ahead of the weekend’s activities.
Krack said of Newey: “We’ll see him this weekend. He’s good because he has a lot of experience here and has won a lot. It’s a place where he can help us with his advice.”
On the team’s overall trajectory, Krack was measured but cautiously optimistic, pointing to incremental gains made at recent rounds.
He added: “We’re not going to put unnecessary pressure on ourselves. But we’ve taken steps forward, and in Canada we reached Q2 [the sprint] with one attempt. There’s progress, although the competition from the rest is fierce.”
Honda chief Shintaro Orihara also addressed the ongoing technical development work, highlighting improvements in energy management as a key focus heading into Monaco.
Orihara stated: “We’re focusing on optimising energy management from the driver’s pedal position. It needs to be properly optimised here.”
He continued: “We identified positive aspects in Canada and found room for improvement. We want to improve the precision of the torque delivery.”
Orihara also acknowledged a fresh finding from the Canadian round, saying: “We discovered something new, yes. But perhaps it’s a standard procedure in torque management that helps us with driving.”
Away from the power unit concerns, Fernando Alonso’s physical condition remains another complication, with the Spaniard retiring in Canada due to pain caused by his seating position rather than the vibration issue itself.
Krack outlined the efforts made to resolve Alonso’s cockpit setup ahead of Monaco, noting the team has been working closely with the two-time world champion since Tuesday.
He explained: “We tried several things, but the driving will be the real test. He’s confident he’s found an improvement, although it wouldn’t be surprising if we finalise the adjustments during the sessions.”
Krack was keen to stress the complexity of the changes, adding: “It’s not just one change; there’s a whole set of adjustments that are complicated if you’re not driving.”
With Newey back in the paddock at one of the most technically demanding circuits on the calendar, Aston Martin will hope his experience and expertise can help unlock further progress this weekend.