"We've set some tough targets": Aston Martin boss stresses need to harness Adrian Newey's creativity

Aston Martin chief Andy Cowell has highlighted the need to harness Adrian Newey's creativity by giving him all the best possible tools to get the most out of him. Newey is all set to join the British team as Chief Technical Officer and shareholder.

Cowell is Aston Martin Racing Group's CEO and also newly appointed Team Principal of its F1 outfit. He took over from former chief Mike Krack in January but the Luxembourgish engineer has also stayed with the team, now as the Chief Trackside Engineer.

During an interview with Sky Sports on Sunday, Cowell shared his plans of giving Newey the creative freedom he needs to be able to succeed at the team. He also shared the 'tough targets' the team has set for itself to be competing at the highest level sooner rather than later.

Sky Sports' Craig Slater asked Cowell if he is going to allow Adrian Newey the freedom he has become accustomed to at some of his previous teams. The Briton shared how he is not looking to micro-manage and also looking to create an environment within the team wherein all creative personnel can thrive. He said:

"Absolutely. Adrian is very competitive, he's very creative and as an organization we need to harness that, not stifle it. All the people that operate in the creative area, how do we provide an amazing environment [for them], as you come in to work, as you work together in the building with other people." [via Sky Sports]

"We've set some tough targets. We know when the first race is, we know when we need to be ready. We're all looking forward to seeing the results at the first race and regardless of where we are, we'll look to improve," he added.

Andy Cowell also shared that the team is looking to make the race car the primary focus of development and on working together as a team. He believes that through teamwork, the team can work on making the car even quicker.

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Aston Martin will benefit from Adrian Newey's arrival straightaway, claims Andy Cowell

(L-R) Fernando Alonso, Adrian Newey, Lawrence Stroll, Lance Stroll - September 2024 - Source: Getty

Andy Cowell has claimed that Aston Martin will feel the benefit of Adrian Newey's arrival in the first few days of the Briton starting work. The 66-year-old is set to start in his new role in March after completing his gardening leave with Red Bull.

The Aston Martin chief has explained that Newey will probably be itching to begin working on the car and will come up with valuable observations that will improve the team's performance.

"I think we'll feel the benefit of him in the opening days. I'm sure he's frustrated with not working on a Formula One car at the moment, especially as there are new regulations out." [via Reuters]

"And I'm sure he will be coming up with observations pertinent to the car concept, and also in terms of the tools, in terms of the fidelity of our tools and equipment, and his thoughts on where we should make improvements," he added.

Cowell also highlighted Adrian Newey's ability to bridge aerodynamics, vehicle dynamics, and the data logger [the driver]. Aston Martin will rely heavily on the Briton to turn the team into championship challengers in the near future, especially with new regulations looming in 2026.