Riccardo Patrese on Adrian Newey: Aston Martin won’t be ready in 2026, but anything is possible. Riccardo Patrese shares insights on Adrian Newey’s plans for Aston Martin in 2026.

Patrese: “Newey told me they won’t be ready to win in 2026, but you never know because he’s incredible”

Insights from two former ‘colleagues’ at Williams

Exactly one year ago, Aston Martin made a major technical coup. Lawrence Stroll convinced the aerodynamic genius Adrian Newey to join Aston Martin, despite Newey appearing destined for Ferrari before the negotiations stalled in the final stages.

Newey has been focusing on the 2026 project since officially starting at Aston Martin in March and benefits from a degree of continuity compared to his final years at Red Bull, as Honda will provide exclusive power units to Stroll’s team.

Patrese on Newey’s expectations for 2026

Riccardo Patrese, who knows Newey well from driving Williams cars designed by the engineer in the 1990s, revealed that Newey does not expect to win immediately in 2026: “I spoke with Adrian at the Goodwood Festival,” the former driver told RacingTipster. “He believes that next year they won’t be ready and does not want to raise expectations. He seemed honest when he said they won’t be ready to fight for the championship, but you never know because Adrian is incredible. Probably in his heart he hopes to be ready next year, but he doesn’t want to say it.”

Riccardo Patrese also added: “He mentioned that they won’t be ready for Max Verstappen next year because he doesn’t believe he can provide a winning car, but we’ll see what happens. He knows how strong Max Verstappen is, and if the car has the potential to win the championship, Verstappen could definitely be a target for Aston Martin. Who would make room? Fernando Alonso, even though he is older, could still fight for the title if given a competitive car and the right motivation. Stroll, I’m not sure. Sometimes he’s shown promising results, but nothing exceptional. Of course, he’s the son of the team owner. In 2026, the team and drivers will make their evaluations, and if there is a possibility to win in 2027, then perhaps one of Alonso or Stroll will be replaced with a top-level driver.”