Aston Martin F1 boss Adrian Newey has admitted that the team’s drivers get ‘very frustrated’ if they feel like their concerns are not being listened to.

The Silverstone-based outfit have had a nightmare start to the 2026 season, struggling with reliability and performance concerns which have left Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll fighting at the back of the pack, if they have finished races at all.

Aston Martin have claimed just one point from the opening nine grand prix weekends of the season, hardly ideal for a team who harboured ambitions of challenging for the championship before the season began.

Aston Martin brought in design legend Newey in 2025, and also welcomed a new power unit partner in Honda. That new partnership has started horribly, while Newey’s start to life as Aston Martin team boss has done nothing to suggest that he will add to the 26 world championships that he has won across his career with his new team.

But, taking on both a managing technical partner role and a role as team principal, Newey has now revealed how important it is for Aston Martin to be listening to Stroll and Alonso, as they try to get to the bottom of the AMR26’s issues.

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Newey listening to driver concerns

Two-time world champion Alonso is now 44 years of age, and is the most experienced F1 racer in the history of the sport.

Speaking to media at Aston Martin’s Silverstone factory prior to the British Grand Prix, Newey acknowledged it had been ‘extremely frustrating’ for Alonso and Stroll due to the issues with the AMR26 and the Honda power unit.

He said that he feels compelled to spend time “going through with both Fernando and Lance exactly what we’re doing, what we have planned with the upgrade package, what we have planned through going into the 2027 season.

“Whilst it might not seem like it, we are very much listening to their comments and trying to act upon it,” Newey continued.

“If people don’t feel as if they’re being heard then they of course get very frustrated; it’s human reactions.

“So perhaps we’ve been guilty of not spending enough time with Fernando and Lance, Jak [Crawford, reserve driver] here, kind of going through exactly what we are trying to achieve with the upgrade package.”

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Formula 1 fans listen up! Heineken and F1 have announced their decision to renew the sport’s only season ticket for 2027, giving one lucky fan the chance to attend every single race next year.

What makes the opportunity so extraordinary is that the one-of-a-kind season ticket doesn’t just offer access to every single round on the calendar, it offers so much more.

Heineken and F1 are offering fans the chance to enter a competition to win the money-can’t-buy experience, which allows access to every grand prix for the winner and a plus one, as well as travel, accommodation, and some of the best grandstand seats also included.

In a video posted on social media, current Season Ticket holder Brandon Burgess (also known as Full Time Formula) called on the connections he’s made on his F1 journey since winning the very first season ticket, including four-time champion Max Verstappen and F1TV presenter Laura Winter.

In the video, Burgess and his new F1 network unpacked the crazy opportunity and explained that they are on the search to find the next season ticket holder.

To find out how to enter the competition for next year’s season ticket, check out the details below.

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How to enter F1 season ticket competition for 2027

It’s very simple. The competition for 2027 is open to fans all over the world who are over the age of 25, with a simple sign up required to be in with a chance to set off on a year-long adventure to some of the sport’s most popular tracks and even some circuits that are returning for next year.

Reflecting on how the once in a lifetime experience has benefitted him so far in 2026, inaugural Heineken x F1 Season Ticket holder Brandon Burgess said: “It’s been amazing to see how many people have connected with my journey over the past 18 months. From the new friends I’ve met at races, to people on social media and a couple of famous faces too, I’ve been able to bond with so many people over our shared love of F1.

“Winning the Heineken x F1 Season Ticket was so surreal and I still can’t quite believe what an incredible opportunity I’ve been given. It’s a lot of pressure to pick the next holder of this coveted pass, but thankfully I’ve got some good friends I can call for a bit of help. I’m so excited to give someone else the opportunity to experience this crazy ride for themselves”

The competition is now open and fans all over the globe can enter here via F1 Unlocked to be in with the chance to win the Heineken x F1 Season Ticket for 2027.

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Will Buxton, an F1 pundit and star of hit Netflix docuseries Drive to Survive, caused havoc on social media this week by teasing an ‘absolutely massive’ motorsport announcement.

Following the British Grand Prix, where four-time champion Max Verstappen unleashed an X-rated rant about his Red Bull car that caused him to crash in the dying moments of Sunday’s race, everyone was left talking about his future.

Though McLaren CEO Zak Brown has insisted he is not interested in signing the Dutchman for 2027, reports have gained momentum that Verstappen’s team and McLaren are in conversation about a potential move.

So, when Buxton took to ‘X’ on Monday morning to post: “Hearing a big announcement is on the way before the end of the day. If it is what I think it is, it’s absolutely massive,” naturally, most assumed it was about Verstappen and McLaren.

Now let’s be fair, Buxton was far from the only journalist to jump on the vague posting train and attempt to profit off of the engagement that such a tantalizing statement offered.

However, he has form for this style of post. In fact, Buxton posted the exact same statement, word for word, prior to the 2024 announcement that Lewis Hamilton would be leaving Mercedes to join Ferrari.

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Buxton defends fuelling F1 social media storm

As social media was sent into a frenzy by posts like Buxton’s, it was soon revealed that the ‘massive’ news the Drive to Survive commentator was referring to wasn’t about Verstappen to McLaren.

In fact, it wasn’t even related to F1 at all.

Instead, Buxton, who frequents both the F1 and IndyCar professional media circles, had been teasing the confirmation that six-time champion Scott Dixon was leaving Ganassi for McLaren in the US racing series.

So, was Buxton’s post purely a coincidence or a tactical ploy to hype up the stateside news and his position as lead commentator for Fox Sports’ IndyCar coverage?

He claims it was accidental.

In a recent episode of the F1 Up to Speed podcast Buxton also appears on, the motorsport journalist has insisted he didn’t expect people to assume it was about Verstappen.

In a clip posted by the podcast, Buxton could be heard explaining himself as McLaren F1 legend David Coulthard listened, seemingly unconvinced by Buxton’s excuses.

“What I didn’t expect was for people to automatically assume it was about Max Verstappen,” Buxton began.

“And then McLaren announced it later on in the day, that sure enough, Scott Dixon and Felix Rosenqvist, who won the Indy500, this year have moved to McLaren. And it’s big news in the IndyCar world.”

Coulthard remained sceptical, responding: “25 million people reacted to that.”

Buxton corrected his podcast co-host that his social media statement had actually increased up to 28 million at the time of recording.

“Oh my goodness, well I hadn’t checked since breakfast,” added Coulthard with just the right amount of sarcasm.

Attempting to justify his vague post, Buxton concluded: “The hope was that it would get eyeballs on this massive announcement for IndyCar.”

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