Newey ‘leader need' identified as Aston Martin switch looms

Aston Martin F1 reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne has outlined the why Adrian Newey will have a "massive impact" on the team when he joins in March.

The 2022 Formula E drivers' champion, who dovetails racing for Maserati in the all-electric series with his role at the Silverstone squad, feels the legendary designer will fill a critical gap.

After emphasising the wealth of knowledge and depth of experience the 66-year-old possesses, having won 26 F1 titles since starting to work in the championship in the late 1980s, Vandoorne singled out his ability to be a "leader" at Aston Martin, as part of an exclusive interview with RacingNews365.

In his educated opinion, the team needs someone it can "trust" and "respect" in its ranks - two qualities he believes Newey will elicit.

"It will be amazing," the Belgian said of Newey joining. "I've met Adrian before at Goodwood, when we were racing historic cars, but I've not really spent proper time with him, and had deeper discussions, let's say.

"But it's going to be great, he'll have a massive impact on the team with all his knowledge and his experience that he's had.

"And I think that people will listen to him, and that's something a team needs. They need a leader. They need someone they can trust and they respect - and I think in Adrian, we definitely have that."

Vandoorne's personal gain from Newey joining

Having made considerable progress in the first 18 months of the contemporary ground effects era in F1, Aston Martin's surge up the grid has stalled.

As performances tailed off in the back end of 2023, the team found itself consigned to fifth in the constructors' standings with 280 points, just 22 shy of Mercedes one place above.

It was an outcome it repeated last term, but with considerably worse results, taking just 94 points - 186 fewer than 12 months prior.

Therefore, there is plenty for Newey to get stuck into when he starts work in early March, especially with the 2026 regulations overhaul looming.

To Vandoorne, however, it is not merely the overall team that will benefit from the Briton's presence. The 32-year-old is looking forward to tapping into everything Newey has picked up over his time in motorsport.

"But from a driver's point of view, it's great as well," he said. "I'm just a reserve driver with Aston Martin, but I can still use his knowledge, his experience and have some chats with him to build my own knowledge. So it's great to have him on board."