Aston Martin Secure Ex-Red Bull Strategist Nick Roberts for 2026

Aston Martin have continued their recruitment drive ahead of Formula 1’s new era in 2026, it’s believed that former Racing Bulls senior strategy engineer Nick Roberts will join the team after a period of gardening leave.

Roberts’ move is the latest in a series of high-profile hires from within the Red Bull family, coming after the blockbuster arrival of design legend Adrian Newey in March. Newey, the most decorated engineer in F1 history with involvement in over 200 race wins and 25 world titles, is already working on Aston Martin’s first car for the 2026 regulations, the AMR26.

The new rules will introduce 50% electrification, fully sustainable fuels, and active aerodynamics, while Aston Martin will also begin their eagerly awaited works partnership with Honda—currently Red Bull’s engine supplier.

Earlier this year, Aston Martin also recruited Giles Wood, another of Newey’s former Red Bull colleagues, as director of simulation and vehicle modelling. His arrival followed Newey’s concerns about the team’s simulation capabilities during his first trackside appearance at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Roberts signalled his departure from Racing Bulls earlier this month, describing it as a “premature end” to his stint with the Faenza-based squad. In a social media post, he joked about spending time on “gardening” before returning trackside in 2026—accompanied by a green heart emoji that hinted strongly at Aston Martin as his next destination.

We can confirm that Roberts will indeed join Aston Martin once his gardening leave is complete. His former responsibilities at Racing Bulls have been handed to Guillaume Ducreux, who has moved from Red Bull Racing to work alongside chief strategist Matthieu Dubois.

Roberts’ F1 career began with Red Bull Racing in 2016 as a strategy analyst, rising to senior race strategy analyst in 2022. He also played a key role in Red Bull’s junior driver programme, introducing advanced analytics to talent scouting and development. In 2024, he switched to Racing Bulls, taking charge of race-day strategy from the third round of the season.

His departure comes as Red Bull prepare for another major loss in their strategy department. Long-serving chief strategist Will Courtenay will leave the team at the end of 2025 to become McLaren’s new sporting director. Red Bull resisted McLaren’s attempts to secure Courtenay early, meaning he will remain in place throughout 2025 before making the switch by mid-2026 at the latest.

With Newey, Wood, and now Roberts, Aston Martin are assembling a formidable technical and strategic line-up as they prepare for the most significant regulation reset in a generation.

From F1 news to tech, history to opinions, F1 Chronicle has a free Substack. To deliver the stories you want straight to your inbox, click here.

For more F1 news and videos, follow us on Microsoft Start.

New to Formula 1? Check out our Glossary of F1 Terms, and our Beginners Guide to Formula 1 to fast-track your F1 knowledge.