Aston Martin deemed “team of the future” in F1 by Franz Tost

Former F1 Team Principal Franz Tost has given his verdict on the Aston Martin team. Taking into consideration the additions of some of their newest members to their organization, he believes that they will achieve much success in the near future. The former team boss' comments stem from the Lawrence Stroll-backed outfit's hiring of the championship-winning car designer Adrian Newey and their new team principal, Andy Cowell.

Tost, who was the head of the AlphaTauri (now Racing Bulls) team from 2006 to 2023, explained that bringing in Newey, who designed Red Bull's championship-winning cars, and Cowell, who produced the engine that helped Lewis Hamilton score his titles, is the winning formula. He told Sport1 (via Crash.net):

“I believe Aston will be the team of the future."

“They've signed some very good people, including Adrian Newey and Andy Cowell. Newey, in my opinion, is the best technician in the paddock and has immense experience."

“And now they also have Andy Cowell. I know him from my time at BMW. Back then, Cowell built the legendary ten-cylinder engine, which was by far the best engine. Then he went to Mercedes and did a fantastic job there too."

“In summary, you could say: Aston Martin has the best man in the car sector and the best man in the powertrain sector."

However, Tost isn't attributing all of the team's potential success to the two men, but also to their new partnership with Honda, which starts after they part ways with the Red Bull team at the end of this season. With the Japanese company behind the manufacturing of Aston Martin's engines, along with Cowell's expertise, all being built in the team's state-of-the-art facility, this is what makes them the "team of the future," according to Tost. He added:

"Of course, Honda, not Cowell, is responsible for the new engine, which will be launched in 2026 – but I can well imagine that there will be close communication between Honda and Cowell.

"Honda is not only extremely motivated, but also very open. In addition, Aston Martin has a very modern factory with the appropriate facilities. That's why, for me, they represent the future."

Currently, however, the outfit is struggling as the team sits in seventh place in the standings. It has accumulated only 10 points over the first five races of the 2025 season, thanks to the sixth and ninth-place finishes of Lance Stroll in Australia and China.

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Franz Tost shares that Aston Martin is the "favourite" for defending champion

Max Verstappen interacts with Fernando Alonso during the drivers parade prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Las Vegas on November 23, 2024 - Source: Getty

There are rumours swirling around of Aston Martin trying to bring the current world champion, Max Verstappen, over to their team for the next season. While Verstappen has said he's not thinking about his future plans, Franz Tost believes that out of the teams on the grid, the Silverstone-based outfit is the best place to go, however, this is in the event that Mercedes doesn't snatch up the Dutchman first. Tost said (via Crash.net):

"If he does move, there are various teams for him. Mercedes is the top priority, but Aston Martin could also be of interest to him. Mercedes is performing excellently. Of course, Mercedes has to consider whether to sign Max, because George Russell is performing so well at the moment. Ultimately, that will be up to Toto Wolff to decide. Personally, I think Aston Martin is the favourite.”

Currently, Max Verstappen sits in third place in the Drivers' standings, 12 points away from his hopes of being back leading the championship.