Aston Martin make surprise team structure decision after Newey arrival

Aston Martin has made a surprise decision surrounding the future of technical director Dan Fallows just two months following the coup signing of Adrian Newey.

In a statement, the team and Fallows have jointly announced that "from November, Dan will no longer serve as technical director of the Formula One team. Dan will remain with the Group."

Group CEO Andy Cowell said: " would like to thank Dan for his contribution to Aston Martin Aramco in the last two years. Dan led the team to the success of the AMR23 which secured eight podiums last season."

Fallows spent 16 years with Red Bull, helping the team to success as aerodynamics team leader from 2010-2013 when Sebastian Vettel won his four drivers' titles, and the team dominated by claiming a quartet of constructors' championships.

Fallows went on to become head of aerodynamics, working hand-in-glove with Newey, and playing a role in helping Max Verstappen becoming world champion in 2021, although it was during that year it was announced he would leave the following season to join Aston Martin.

After two-and-a-half years as technical director at Aston Martin, however, Fallows is to now step aside from that role.

Fallows said: "In my time at Aston Martin, it has been a joy and a privilege to guide the technical team on their journey towards being race and championship winners.

" It is time for me to pass on the baton, but I look forward to watching the team's future success, which I am sure will come soon."

Aston has lost its way under Fallows

In early September, Aston Martin then confirmed it had secured the services of Newey following the famed technical guru's announcement a few months previously that he would be leaving Red Bull, joining the Silverstone-based squad as managing technical partner.

At that stage, it appeared as if Newey and Fallows would be reunited again. In an interview with RacingNews365, Fallows said the appointment of Newey would help Aston Martin "take the next step".

He added: "It's really exciting for me because I've really enjoyed working with him over the years.

"It was something that I was keen to point out when I left Red Bull that this [Aston Martin] was a really big challenge for me. It was something I wanted to do to see how a team could grow into something really big.

"I felt we'd achieved a lot at Red Bull, but I was very keen to point out to Adrian that it wasn't anything to do with him because one of the biggest highlights was working with him and the relationship that we had creatively.

"I'm really looking forward to carrying that on here but in a different environment."

Although Fallows will remain with the Aston Martin Group in an undefined capacity at present, it is clear there will be no reunion with Newey in the technical department.

Under Fallows, Aston Martin made a superb start to last season, with Fernando Alonso scoring six podiums in the first eight grands prix, including finishing runner-up in Monaco and Canada.

Although Alonso added further podiums in the Netherlands and Brazil, Aston Martin lost its way on the design front, and this season has slumped in terms of results.

The team looks set to retain its fifth position in the constructors' championship but is poised to finish around 190 points adrift of what it accumulated last term.