Adrian Newey handed unusual 'stick to shoes' Aston Martin message

Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey should "stick to his shoes", meaning he should return to focusing solely on car design.

For the first time in his illustrious F1 career, Newey has taken on the role of team principal at Aston Martin at the start of the 2026 season.

It is a position he has held alongside his role as the Silverstone-based outfit's managing technical partner, increasing his workload.

Unfortunately, Aston Martin has endured a disastrous opening two races under the new power unit regulations, largely due to issues with Honda's power unit.

Mileage has been difficult for the British team to accumulate due to its technical problems, with reliability not being the only pressing issue.

Fernando Alonso was forced to retire in China after experiencing numbness in his hands and feet, caused by vibrations throughout the AMR26 triggered by a fault with Honda's battery.

It has been widely reported that Jonathan Wheatley is set to join Aston Martin as team principal, allowing Newey to focus purely on car design.

Montoya is unsure the team principal role is the right fit for Newey, particularly due to the political demands of the position.

Discussing if Newey as team principal works, Montoya explained in an interview with RacingNews365: "I don't know how to say this saying in Spanish, but basically, if you're a shoemaker, stick to your shoes.

"Yeah, and I think that's the case with Adrian. Can he do it? Probably. But I think Adrian is a technical guy, not a political guy.

"And I think for a team principal, you need to be very wise and very political. I think that's the reason why Toto [Wolff] succeeds so much in everything — he is managing everything."