Formula 1 fans have been left in shock after news broke that Adrian Newey is set to step down as Aston Martin team principal to focus on technical matters.
Some have described the news as a "complete fever dream," as the former Red Bull technical director is understood to be replaced by current Audi team principal Jonathan Wheatley.
"This morning's news is a complete fever dream. How much gardening leave time would be involved? Why would you jump from a program that is already exceeding expectations into a quagmire that will take years to sort out," one fan commented on Reddit.
Wheatley joined Audi in May 2025 and has worked alongside CEO Mattia Binotto as the team transitioned from Sauber to Audi in 2026.
"Oh, I feel terrible for Audi, just when it looked like they had a decent (but unreliable) car, they lose their head man," someone else wrote, while another added: "WHAT. WHEATLEY NEEDS TO STAY AT AUDI MAN."
Other comments included: "I'm so confused man, what kind of mega compensation package must he have been offered to go to Aston? I mean the dude literally uprooted his family and moved to Switzerland to manage Sauber/Audi" and "What the f***? Edit: If this is true, it's sad, I love what Audi is building, but money talks. Aston with another great hire they will probably waste."
Aston Martin has had a terrible start to the year. Expectations had been high for the Silverstone outfit due to its new and exclusive power unit partnership with Honda and having its first Aston Martin car designed under Newey. But after minimal running during pre-season testing, the Lawrence Stroll-owned team is battling major issues.
Two-time champion Fernando Alonso was forced to retire from the Chinese Grand Prix due to excessive vibrations in the cockpit. So far, Alonso and Stroll have both retired from the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix, and they finished 17th and 18th in the Chinese sprint race.
