Adrian Newey brings Michael Schumacher-era suspension back to F1 with Aston Martin in 2026

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According to Mark Hughes, Adrian Newey is the only designer in F1’s 2026 lineup to use a suspension setup that first emerged during Michael Schumacher’s time at Ferrari.

Newey’s unconventional approach became a talking point when Aston Martin’s AMR26 finally appeared late in the Barcelona Shakedown back in January.

Speaking from Australia, Newey put his chassis among the top five on the grid, although some inside the team weren’t fully convinced. Even if he is right, Honda’s engine issues have left Aston Martin well off the pace early on.

Adrian Newey’s Aston Martin suspension inspired by Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari

Newey’s design has the upper and lower ‘wishbone’ legs formed as a single piece, unlike the traditional separate pieces for each side. According to Hughes on the F1 website, Aston Martin are the only team to take this approach.

The concept dates back 25 years when Ferrari first introduced it on Michael Schumacher’s F2001, a car that went on to win 10 races and a world title. Renault later adopted the design for their 2002 car.

Although Newey was with McLaren at the time, this is the first occasion he has chosen to implement the Ferrari-style suspension in one of his designs.

The idea behind it is to cut down on resistance while keeping stiffness levels unchanged, which plays a key role in both grip and tyre wear. However, this layout also reduces flexibility compared to more conventional dual-leg setups.

If there is any damage to the suspension during racing or testing, repairs could end up taking longer than with more common designs.

Adrian Newey set to miss another race

Adrian Newey will not be in Miami this weekend, according to reports from . Aston Martin’s trackside engineering director Mike Krack will continue to fill in as the public face of the team.