Audi team principal Jonathan Wheatley has emerged as the front-runner to take over from Adrian Newey at Aston Martin, leaving former Red Bull boss Christian Horner out of the running.
The Silverstone-based outfit are actively searching for a new leader to allow Newey to step back and focus entirely on designing the team’s Formula 1 car.
The legendary designer has reportedly recommended his former Red Bull colleague to owner Lawrence Stroll to take charge of the garage.
Horner, who remains out of the sport six months after his official departure following a 20-year tenure, is not considered a candidate for the vacancy.
A potential Silverstone reunion
Newey and Wheatley spent nearly two decades working together at Red Bull during a period of sustained championship dominance.
Wheatley eventually departed his role as sporting director to join Sauber, the predecessor to the new Audi works team.
Personal reasons are now reputed to be a driving factor in tempting the British executive to return from Switzerland.
If an agreement is reached, the Audi boss would likely need to serve a significant period of gardening leave before switching teams.
Alternative options and past praise
Former McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl is also credited with an interest in the Aston Martin role.
Meanwhile, Horner must continue his wait for another motorsport opportunity to crop up.
Despite missing out on the current vacancy, the 50-year-old previously spoke highly of his former sporting director when their professional paths diverged.
Jonathan’s done a great job as initially team manager and then sporting director for us.
He’s been part of the journey over the last 19 years or in our 20th season. We’re very grateful for what he’s done and the effort that he’s put in during that time.
An opportunity like this to become a team principal has come along. So we certainly didn’t look to hold him back in any way, and we wish him the very best of luck for the future.
Nelson Piquet Jr claims Max Verstappen would not be criticising the new Formula 1 regulations if the reigning world champion was driving for Mercedes.
The Red Bull driver has been highly vocal about the sport’s latest hybrid rules following a frustrating start to the season.
Verstappen managed only a sixth-place finish in Australia before retiring with an Energy Recovery System failure in China last week.
This sluggish start has left the Dutchman trailing a dominant Mercedes team, currently spearheaded by George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.
Mercedes dominance changes perspective
Piquet, brother-in-law to the four-time world champion, believes the driver’s frustration stems purely from a lack of competitiveness.
Speaking on the Pelas Pistas podcast, the former F1 driver suggested that having a winning car changes everything.
“He wants to have the best car,” Piquet explained.
“It is natural for him to complain in this situation, but if he were driving the Mercedes, he would be very quiet and would not be saying anything at all.”
‘Mario Kart’ regulations
The controversial new technical regulations require nearly half of a car’s power to be generated by its electrical battery pack.
This system allows drivers to deploy a substantial power boost on demand during races.
However, the defending champion remains entirely unconvinced by the new racing dynamic.
“It’s still terrible,” Verstappen previously stated regarding the changes.
“It’s playing Mario Kart. This is not racing.”
The Red Bull talisman also dismissed suggestions that there is a genuine championship battle developing between Mercedes and Ferrari.
“It’s just Kimi or George that is winning, right? They’re miles ahead of the field,” he added.
Future transfer speculation
Verstappen has repeatedly been linked with a sensational switch to Mercedes in recent seasons.
Despite his current frustrations, the stellar early-season form of Russell and Antonelli makes a blockbuster 2027 move highly uncertain.
For now, the Red Bull star insists his criticism is rooted purely in the quality of the on-track product rather than his own position in the standings.
Formula 1 could cancel three further races during the 2026 season, including the Azerbaijan, Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix, due to rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
The sport’s organisers are bracing for prolonged disruption following the recent axing of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian events.
Those two April fixtures were removed from the calendar after careful evaluation of the ongoing regional conflict.
Azerbaijan fixture under scrutiny
Attention has now shifted to the street circuit in Baku, which is currently scheduled for September.
While the city has not been directly impacted by drone strikes, its shared border with Iran has raised significant security concerns.
Journalist Julianne Cerasoli noted the geographical proximity is the primary factor complicating preparations for the event.
The main thing that’s shaking things up for the Azerbaijan GP, which is in September, is that Azerbaijan borders Iran.
Two-week intervals on either side of the Baku race provide logistical flexibility, but staff safety remains the ultimate priority.
Qatar and Abu Dhabi races in jeopardy
Decision-makers are adopting a more measured approach regarding the season-closing events in Lusail and Yas Marina.
Because these rounds take place later in the year, motorsport executives believe time is on their side before making a final call.
However, an overarching strategy to abandon all Middle Eastern stops entirely remains a distinct possibility if the crisis escalates.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem emphasised that the governing body will not compromise on welfare.
The FIA will always place the safety and well-being of our community and colleagues first. After careful consideration, we have taken this decision with that responsibility firmly in mind.
Echoes of the 2020 campaign
If all five regional races are officially abandoned, the 2026 calendar would shrink to just 17 rounds.
Such a reduction would make it the shortest championship since the heavily disrupted 2020 pandemic season.
Formula 2, Formula 3, and the all-female F1 Academy series will also skip their corresponding support slots in the affected nations.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has backed drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to recover from a disastrous start to their 2026 Formula 1 campaign following consecutive race weekends ruined by reliability issues and crashes.
The reigning two-time constructors’ champions have endured a miserable title defence across the opening rounds in Australia and China.
World champion Norris secured a fifth-placed finish in Melbourne, which remains the Woking-based outfit’s only race classification so far this year.
His Australian team-mate crashed out before his home race began, while both cars later suffered electrical failures that prevented them from starting the Chinese Grand Prix.
Early deficit in the standings
Those severe reliability setbacks leave the British squad trailing a distant third behind early championship leaders Mercedes and Ferrari.
In the drivers’ standings, the reigning champion sits sixth on 15 points, while the 24-year-old from Melbourne languishes in 12th after collecting just three sprint points.
Despite the lack of track time and race finishes, Stella insists the mood inside the garage remains resilient.
“It is a tough moment, that’s for sure.”
The Italian engineer admitted that failing to start a single Grand Prix has been particularly difficult for the younger driver to process.
However, the team boss praised the positive attitude both men displayed during post-race debriefs in Shanghai.
Relying on a winning mindset
The papaya team have developed a strong internal culture since their dramatic turnaround during the 2023 season.
Stella believes this winner’s mindset allows the team to focus strictly on elements within their direct control.
“In this case in China, there wasn’t much we could have controlled, so we just take any possible learning and we go again.”
He pointed to the difficulties they overcame during their double championship-winning campaign last year as proof of their inherent resilience.
“The victory was in Qatar and in Vegas, for the way we withstood the difficulties. That’s where you really become a champion.”
The defending champions will aim to resurrect their season at the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix in late March.
Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso is reportedly causing internal friction at Aston Martin after severe engine vibrations forced his retirement at the Chinese Grand Prix.
The 2026 Formula 1 season has begun disastrously for the Silverstone-based outfit.
Aston Martin are battling significant performance deficits stemming from their new power units.
During Sunday’s race in Shanghai, intense engine vibrations caused the Spanish veteran to lose feeling in his hands and feet.
This extreme discomfort forced him to abandon the steering wheel on straights before eventually retiring after 32 laps.
Growing frustration behind the scenes
The former Ferrari driver has reportedly made his displeasure abundantly clear regarding the ongoing mechanical failures.
F1 Insider journalist Ralf Bach claims the veteran is openly expressing his frustrations behind closed doors.
Bach warns that these persistent complaints risk severely demotivating the engineering staff.
“Outwardly, he still comes across quite well, protecting the team a bit, but apparently he really lays it on thick when it comes to internal matters.”
Aston Martin engineers believe they possess one of the strongest chassis on the current grid.
However, they feel badly let down by engine troubles as they seek to propel themselves into race contention.
Honda’s troubled Formula 1 return
The return of Honda as an engine supplier has been plagued by design flaws and reliability issues.
Teammate Lance Stroll also retired in China due to a battery failure after just 10 laps.
Alonso has a complex and highly publicised history with the Japanese manufacturer.
During his second stint at McLaren in 2015, he infamously labelled their power unit a “GP2 engine” over the team radio.
Early championship struggles
The opening two rounds of the new campaign have painted a bleak picture for several established teams.
Mercedes dominated in China, with Kimi Antonelli claiming victory in a commanding one-two finish.
Meanwhile, McLaren suffered a double non-start in Shanghai to compound their own shocking decline.
Aston Martin must now rapidly solve their dangerous vibration issues to salvage their season.
“I had fun at the start again, and it seems this is a strong point of our car as we jumped up to P10. However, from about lap 20, I was struggling with the vibration levels.”
Aston Martin are actively searching for a new team principal to succeed Adrian Newey after a disastrous start to the 2026 Formula 1 season, with former Red Bull boss Christian Horner ruled out for the role.
The Silverstone-based squad have failed to score a single point in the opening rounds in Australia and China.
Drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll both suffered retirements at the recent Chinese Grand Prix, compounding early-season misery for the manufacturer.
Reliability woes and Honda engine struggles
Significant concerns regarding engine reliability emerged before the opening race in Melbourne when half of their allocated Honda battery packs failed during practice.
The legendary aerodynamicist has pointed to a lack of experience within the engine supplier’s workforce as a primary cause of their current track difficulties.
Newey noted that the Japanese manufacturer returned to the sport with a significantly reduced staff and are struggling to recover under current financial regulations.
“They re-entered with let’s say only, I’m guessing, 30 per cent of their original team and now in a budget cap era.”
“So they started very much on the back foot and unfortunately they’ve struggled to catch back up.”
Tension builds amid search for new leadership
Reports from Spain suggest that palpable tension and disappointment have engulfed the team following the double non-finish in Shanghai.
This perceived leadership void has prompted the British marque to seek a new figurehead to handle management and public relations responsibilities.
Despite the anticipated reshuffle, the 65-year-old engineering mastermind is expected to transition into a revised technical role rather than leave the team entirely.
Aston Martin will have another opportunity to secure their first championship points of the campaign when the paddock moves to Japan next week.
Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies has admitted their 2026 Formula 1 car possesses “significant shortcomings” following a disastrous Chinese Grand Prix for Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar.
The Milton Keynes-based squad have endured a nightmare start to the sport’s new era of technical regulations.
Operating as an independent power unit manufacturer for the first time, they have accumulated just 12 points across the opening two race weekends in Australia and Shanghai.
That meagre tally represents the team’s lowest points return to start a campaign since 2015.
Reliability woes plague new engine era
Engine-related reliability issues have hampered both drivers in the early stages of the season.
Hadjar was forced out of the season-opener in Melbourne, while reigning world champion Verstappen suffered a coolant fault that ended his race in China.
“We knew that just getting onto the grid in Melbourne with our own PU was a major achievement in itself and it would have been naive not to expect we would encounter reliability issues.”
Mekies acknowledged that the problems extend far beyond just keeping the engine running.
“We had to retire Max because of a coolant fault. However, this was not our only issue as overall, performance-wise, our package showed some significant shortcomings.”
Despite the severe setbacks, the team principal remains optimistic that data gathered over recent weeks will make them more competitive at the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka.
Verstappen frustrated by handling struggles
Verstappen has not hidden his frustration regarding the drivability of the newly designed RB21 machinery.
The Dutch driver failed to score any points in either the Sprint or the main race at the Shanghai International Circuit.
Compromised by poor starts from eighth on the grid, he described the car as incredibly tough to drive and complained that every lap felt like a fight.
“A big problem for us is tyre degradation. We are graining a lot, probably more than the people around us. So that’s one thing we need to solve.”
The multi-time title winner highlighted that sweeping regulation changes have caused chaos up and down the pit lane.
“Then getting on top of our problems. But that’s not easy. You can see that all over the grid. Some cars are not even starting. It’s all very complicated.”
While acknowledging the immense effort from his garage, the lead driver conceded the current situation is deeply painful as they are not where they want to be.
Six-time World Superbike champion Jonathan Rea will return to competitive racing with Honda in Portimao this March, just seven months after announcing his retirement.
The 39-year-old steps in to replace the injured Jake Dixon, who is currently recovering from wrist surgery.
He originally walked away from full-time racing at the conclusion of the 2025 season following a stint with Yamaha.
However, the motorsport legend rejoined Honda last November to serve as a test rider for their upcoming 2026 campaign.
A fitting circuit for a comeback
The scheduled Portuguese round holds special significance, as it was the exact venue where the veteran made his championship debut back in 2008.
He returns to the manufacturer that helped launch his career, having previously amassed 15 race victories and 42 podiums for Honda between 2007 and 2014.
Following that initial chapter, the iconic rider cemented his legacy by winning six successive world titles with Kawasaki from 2015 to 2020.
Record-breaking pedigree
The returning test rider brings unmatched experience to the grid, holding the all-time championship records for race starts, victories, and podium finishes.
His staggering career statistics include 470 starts, 119 race wins, and 264 podiums across nearly two decades of elite competition.
Dixon is fully expected to reclaim his factory seat once his rehabilitation is complete, making this a temporary but highly anticipated cameo.
Track action for the Portimao round of the championship is officially scheduled to take place between 28 and 29 March.