Team boss reveals Adrian Newey doesn't come to meetings or reply to emails

Aston Martin team principal Andy Cowell has opened up on the day-to-day of working with Adrian Newey, as the legendary designer works on his first car for the team.

Newey left Red Bull last year and, after a period of gardening leave and some frantic negotiating, joined Aston Martin to help their efforts to get to grips with 2026's Formula 1 rule changes.

In the meantime though, the team are struggling mightily on the track, with two-time drivers' champion Fernando Alonso yet to score a single point through five races.

Cowell spoke to Spanish newspaper AS recently and was asked, among other things, what Newey was doing while the team continue to flounder in the short term.

Cowell: Newey always drawing on office board

The Aston Martin chief explained: "He's a race car designer. One of the best. From day one, we made sure to prepare his work environment. He came in and attended meetings about the new rules, about the concepts we'd been working on.

"We explained the countdown to the first test and the first race. And we spelled out all the deadlines for submitting information for the manufacture of this car. He went straight to work with engineers to make sketches on his drawing board.

"He's in that design cycle to design key parts of the car. Ninety percent of a car's creation is in the factory, and that's where we want Adrian. He has his office; everyone who walks past says that whenever they see him, he's drawing on the board.

"Of course, he doesn't go to meetings, he doesn't answer emails, he's just preparing a fast car. And we all support that process."

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