Can Newey salvage Aston Martin's 2025 Formula 1 campaign?

After months of development and preseason Bahrain F1 Testing, Aston Martin aims to build on last year’s progress as things kick off at Albert Park Circuit, with Newey reportedly involved in sorting out this year's car for veteran double-World Champ 43-year-old Fernando Alonso and no-wins journeyman 26-year-old Lance Stroll.

While Alonso relishes the chance of driving a Newey race-designed (or influenced car as it will be this year) and if it indeed had podium written on it, the Spaniard will make the most of it. Provided, of course, he can extract the maximum from a Newey car which is not an easy ask. And will probably expose Stroll's shortcomings, because they tend to beasts that need taming by the likes of Max Verstappen or Sebastian Vettel in his heyday at Red Bull.

Looking ahead Cowell said in an interview released by Aston Martin's media team: "We're all excited to be in Australia and experience the thrill of our first race of the season. Naturally, we cannot wait to hit the track with the AMR25; we're racers—competing on the track is where we want to be.

"We did a considerable number of tests to understand different aerodynamic and setup options, which has provided a huge amount of clarity going into the Australian Grand Prix. We've established a clear direction to take with the car setup at Albert Park Circuit, and that's a testament to the diligent testing and analysis we did in Bahrain," Cowell explained.

Aston Martin’s 2025 F1 campaign is bolstered by the arrival of legendary F1 designer Adrian Newey, who has joined as Managing Technical Partner. Cowell described how Newey wasted no time integrating himself within the team: "There's been huge interest in Adrian's arrival, but he's not one for great ceremony."

Cowell recalled: "He walked into his office at the AMR Technology Campus, put his briefcase down, and was in a concept meeting almost straight away, discussing an area of the car. He's embedded himself immediately. He's met all our exec team and quickly immersed himself with our engineers, attentively listening to what people are saying about the work they've done.

With a tightly contested field expected in 2025, Cowell acknowledged that the smallest details could be the difference between success and failure: "It's likely we'll often see as little as 10 milliseconds determining who progresses through the different stages in qualifying.

"When you're chasing such fine margins, factors like setup, tyre preparation, and executing tyre changes effectively will all be crucial. Those 10 milliseconds have a bearing on the race too—they can make or break your weekend. Even with the DRS, it can be difficult to overtake, so every position gained in qualifying really matters," ventured Cowell.

Albert Park returns as the season-opening venue for the first time since 2019, and Cowell highlighted its significance as one of Formula 1’s most popular races: "I've visited Melbourne many times and have very happy memories of the city and the circuit.

"Albert Park is an amazing venue for a Grand Prix. It's remarkable that such a high-speed race can be held there, with cars flashing past the trees and around the lake."

Cowell praised the commitment of Aston Martin’s personnel in preparing for the opening round: "It's been a monumental effort from everyone in the team over the winter, as ever, to get to the first Grand Prix. Now it's time to go racing."