Overview
- Aston Martin said Thursday that chief trackside officer Mike Krack expects Newey to be in the Monaco paddock this weekend to advise the team on setup and strategy.
- Newey has not attended a race since the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in March and has been working away from the track to diagnose the car’s problems.
- The AMR26 and its new Honda power unit suffered severe driveability issues and engine vibrations early in the season that forced retirements and raised safety concerns about potential nerve damage.
- Team and Honda engineers have focused on torque delivery, pedal energy management and dyno testing to improve driveability, and Aston Martin says a full upgrade package is pushed back until later in the summer.
- Reports of Newey’s ill health, including a claimed hospital stay, remain unconfirmed and the team says it does not comment on personal matters, but his return is expected to boost driver confidence and hands-on troubleshooting at Monaco.