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Sir Keir Starmer has refused to rule out further tax increases in the upcoming autumn Budget, as leading economists warn Labour faces a £50 billion shortfall in the public finances by the end of the decade.
The Prime Minister said that the government would focus on improving living standards, but declined to confirm whether Labour will uphold its manifesto pledge not to raise income tax, VAT, or corporation tax.
“The focus will be living standards,” Starmer told broadcasters during a visit to Milton Keynes. “In the autumn, we’ll get the full forecast and obviously set out our budget… [but] at this stage, that will be set out in the Budget.”
The remarks came after a stark warning from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR), which said Chancellor Rachel Reeves would need to find £51 billion annually in higher taxes or spending cuts by 2029/30 to comply with Labour’s fiscal rules.
NIESR estimates that Reeves’ £9.9 billion “buffer” from the March Budget has already disappeared, due to a combination of weaker growth, inflationary pressures, welfare spending, and slower-than-expected economic recovery.
“Filling a £50 billion hole is a huge undertaking,” said Professor Stephen Millard, deputy director of NIESR. “We’re looking at the equivalent of a five percentage point increase in both the basic and higher rates of income tax.”
Although Millard clarified that such hikes were not a recommendation, he said they illustrate the scale of the challenge now facing the Chancellor.
He described Reeves’ situation as an “impossible trilemma”: maintaining her fiscal rules, delivering Labour’s spending commitments, and keeping her tax lock promise to avoid raising taxes on “working people”.
Labour MPs and trade unions have called on Reeves to consider a wealth tax or extend the freeze on income tax thresholds beyond 2028 to increase revenue — but neither option would raise anywhere near the required £50 billion.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy sought to play down expectations of a wealth tax, telling Sky News that the Chancellor had “poured cold water” on the idea, saying Labour had inherited historically high tax levels and wanted to reduce the burden on working households.
Starmer insisted that Labour’s economic stewardship had delivered early progress, including four interest rate cuts, wage growth, and improvements to the minimum wage.
“We’ve stabilised the economy. That means interest rates have been cut now four times,” he said. “For anybody watching this on a mortgage, that makes a huge difference.”
However, Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride accused Labour of economic mismanagement, saying:
“Labour will always reach for the tax-rise lever. Businesses are closing, unemployment is up, inflation has doubled, and the economy is shrinking. Labour are refusing to rule out more damaging tax rises on investment.”
NIESR said the government’s decision not to proceed with planned welfare reforms has added £13.7 billion to public spending, while continuing the winter fuel allowance contributes another £1.5 billion.
Compared to Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts, NIESR identified a £22.2 billion shortfall in output and employment, along with a £14.3 billion discrepancy in projected expenditure, totalling a £51 billion difference by 2029/30.
To maintain her fiscal “buffer,” Reeves may have little choice but to make “moderate but sustained” tax increases, Millard said — unless significant spending reductions are introduced.
Elsewhere in its outlook, NIESR upgraded its 2025 UK GDP forecast slightly to 1.3% (from 1.2%) but downgraded 2026 to 1.2% (from 1.5%).
It also warned that inflation will remain stubbornly high, averaging 3.5% in 2025, and staying at 3% well into 2026 — above the Bank of England’s 2% target — due to persistent wage pressures and inflationary effects from the previous year’s Budget.
There was some good news for mortgage holders. NIESR expects the Bank of England to cut interest rates twice more this year, with rates potentially falling to 3.5% by early 2026. The first cut could come this week, when the Bank releases its latest Monetary Policy Report.
A Treasury spokesperson said the government remained focused on stimulating growth, arguing that planning reforms and investment incentives would improve long-term fiscal sustainability.
“The best way to strengthen public finances is by growing the economy — which is our focus. Thanks to our planning reforms, the OBR has said the economy is expected to grow by the end of the decade.”
With Labour’s first full Budget under scrutiny and its tax pledges in doubt, the autumn statement is now shaping up to be a defining moment for the government’s fiscal credibility.
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Starmer refuses to rule out tax hikes as economists warn of £50bn fiscal black hole

A growing number of UK businesses are turning away from traditional Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and embracing proxy services as their preferred tool for digital operations, amid tightening regulatory scrutiny and increased awareness of performance and compliance risks.
According to new data from Decodo, a leading provider of proxy infrastructure, the UK has seen a 65% rise in proxy users and an 88% increase in proxy-generated traffic over the past year. The trend is being driven by companies seeking more control, flexibility, and regulatory peace of mind when managing sensitive online operations.
“Companies around the globe are getting smarter about how they operate in highly competitive landscapes,” said Vytautas Savickas, CEO at Decodo.
“Instead of just picking the most popular tools, they’re choosing what actually works best for them — tools that offer faster performance, better region-specific access, and fewer compliance hurdles.”
While VPNs encrypt all traffic through a single tunnel to mask IP addresses and secure activity, they often trigger security flags, struggle with geo-restricted content, and face mounting regulatory pressure, particularly in markets like the UK.
In contrast, modern proxy services provide granular control over digital footprints, with location-specific routing, dynamic IP switching, and lower detection risk — key features for sectors relying on competitive intelligence, web scraping, and SEO monitoring.
“The difference is in the flexibility,” said Gabriele Verbickaitė, Product Marketing Manager at Decodo.
“Proxies can be customised to specific workflows — whether that’s tracking prices in multiple currencies, verifying ads, or bypassing bot protection systems — without triggering bans or blacklists.”
UK firms across eCommerce, finance, fintech, digital marketing, and cybersecurity are leading the shift. Common use cases now include:
• Competitor price tracking and product benchmarking
• Localised ad verification and SEO campaign monitoring
• Secure data extraction from geo-restricted sites
• Cybersecurity research and fraud prevention
Companies are also moving beyond basic proxy setups, adopting residential, datacenter, mobile, and ISP proxies, which offer more reliable connectivity and improved location accuracy compared to traditional VPN solutions.
“UK businesses are quickly adopting proxies not just for privacy, but for performance and control,” said Vaidotas Juknys, Head of Commerce at Decodo.
“It’s no longer just about staying anonymous — it’s about ensuring your data pipelines, competitive research, and marketing tools function smoothly.”
The shift comes amid growing speculation that UK regulators may impose stricter controls on VPN usage, raising concerns about network reliability, compliance, and digital continuity.
Proxies are viewed as a more sustainable alternative in this evolving environment, enabling firms to stay ahead of legal uncertainty while maintaining essential access to global data and services.
“This isn’t a passing trend,” added Savickas. “Businesses are making strategic, long-term decisions to build digital resilience now — not after legislation forces their hand.”
Decodo reports that businesses are increasingly educating themselves on the technical differences between VPNs and proxies, conducting hands-on testing, and selecting providers based on performance metrics, integration options, and compliance support.
This rising digital maturity is pushing providers to evolve, with proxy platforms now offering enterprise-grade security, scalable infrastructure, and user-friendly dashboards that integrate with existing workflows.
“The bar for what qualifies as an effective digital tool is rising fast,” said Verbickaitė. “UK firms are among the most discerning adopters of proxy technology globally.”
As the UK’s digital economy continues to evolve, the proxy adoption wave signals a broader shift in how businesses approach data privacy, operational efficiency, and regulatory compliance.
With startups and FTSE-listed companies alike investing in proxy solutions, the move away from VPNs represents more than a tech preference — it reflects a redefinition of digital strategy in an increasingly complex and regulated online landscape.
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Why UK businesses are replacing VPNs with proxies amid rising regulatory scrutiny

Rail passengers in Dorset and Devon are facing extended journey times and reduced services after extreme dry weather caused embankments to shrink and destabilise sections of railway track.
South Western Railway (SWR) confirmed it has had to introduce speed restrictions and a reduced timetable on its route between London Waterloo and Exeter, following the sunniest spring in more than 100 years and the second driest spring in England since 1976.
The lack of moisture has caused soil embankments to contract, particularly along a 12-mile stretch between Gillingham and Axminster, leading to structural movement beneath the tracks. As a result, trains are now limited to 40mph instead of 85mph on affected sections, extending journey times by up to an hour.
SWR said the speed restrictions on this single-track line mean trains can no longer pass each other at scheduled times, forcing a cut in services.
“We are very sorry for the disruption that customers will experience due to this change, as we know just how important the west of England line is to the communities it serves,” said Stuart Meek, SWR’s Chief Operating Officer.
“To continue operating a safe and reliable service, we have no alternative but to introduce a reduced timetable.”
Network Rail, which manages the railway infrastructure, said the dry conditions posed a safety risk and confirmed that speed restrictions would remain until the embankments stabilise.
“The safety of our customers is our number one priority, which is why we must impose these speed restrictions,” said Tom Desmond, Operations Director at Network Rail.
“We will regularly review conditions in order to restore the normal timetable as soon as possible.”
The disruption is the latest example of how climate change is impacting UK transport infrastructure. In recent years, both extreme heat and excessive rainfall have triggered emergency engineering works, service cuts, and speed limits on several lines across the country.
In summer, rails can buckle under prolonged heatwaves, while saturated embankments in winter can collapse or slide due to poor drainage. Last year, Network Rail reduced services in Kent after record wet weather weakened earthworks and waterlogged the ground beneath the tracks.
In response to increasingly volatile weather patterns, Network Rail has committed nearly £3 billion in funding between 2024 and 2029 to address climate-related risks across the network. The funding includes increased investment in maintaining and reinforcing embankments, cuttings, and drainage systems.
This follows previous enhancements made in the wake of the Stonehaven disaster in Scotland, where a 2020 derailment caused by a landslip led to the deaths of three people and sparked a major overhaul of how the railway responds to extreme weather.
As the climate continues to change, operators and infrastructure managers face growing pressure to invest in long-term climate resilience to safeguard transport links and minimise disruption to businesses, commuters and rural communities.
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Rail services cut in southern England as dry weather disturbs track stability

Neil Woodford, the once-celebrated fund manager behind the catastrophic collapse of Woodford Investment Management, is facing renewed calls to be stripped of his CBE after the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) issued a damning final judgement.
An open letter has been sent to Sir Chris Wormald, Chair of the Honours Forfeiture Committee, by the Woodford Campaign Group and the Transparency Task Force. The letter urges the Committee to act swiftly and remove Woodford’s CBE in light of the FCA’s ruling.
The watchdog has fined Woodford £5,888,800 and banned him from holding senior management roles or managing retail investment funds. His former firm, Woodford Investment Management, has been fined £40 million for its role in the scandal.
The letter, signed by Andy Agathangelou FRSA, founder of the Transparency Task Force and co-founder of the Woodford Campaign Group, argues that the scale of harm caused by Woodford’s mismanagement is incompatible with the continued possession of an honour awarded “for services to the UK economy”.
“This scandal is obviously a matter of great public interest – hundreds of thousands of people have been directly impacted by it, many having lost life-changing amounts of money,” wrote Agathangelou.
“The scandal indubitably impacted the reputational integrity of the UK’s investment sector as a whole, with inevitable adverse effects on trust and confidence in investing, and thereby damage to the growth prospects of the UK economy.”
Campaigners note that previous hesitation from the Honours Forfeiture Committee stemmed from the need to wait for the outcome of regulatory investigations. Now that the FCA’s decision has been finalised, they argue, there is no justification for further delay.
The petition to have Woodford’s honour revoked, hosted by the Transparency Task Force, currently has over 500 signatories. Campaigners also cite the findings of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Investment Fraud and Fairer Financial Services, whose report on the Woodford scandal outlines widespread consumer harm and governance failures across the investment landscape. The Transparency Task Force provides the Secretariat to the APPG.
The FCA’s judgment marks the culmination of years of anger over the downfall of the Woodford Equity Income Fund, which was frozen in June 2019 and ultimately closed down, locking in billions of pounds of investor losses. Many retail investors, including pension savers, saw their portfolios wiped out, triggering legal challenges and calls for reform across the UK’s financial regulatory framework.
Despite Woodford’s fall from grace, his CBE—awarded in 2015—has remained in place. That, campaigners argue, sends the wrong message about accountability and justice.
Agathangelou concluded his letter by calling for a swift and decisive response: “Given that the Financial Conduct Authority’s judgement is so critical of Mr Woodford, I hope the decision-making process you follow might be both straightforward and swift.”
The Honours Forfeiture Committee, a relatively opaque body that typically acts on the advice of government departments and regulators, has yet to respond publicly.
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Calls mount for Neil Woodford to be stripped of CBE as FCA hands down multi-million pound fine

Four Cymru has announced a strategic partnership with Wales Tech Week 2025, the country’s leading international tech summit, to champion Welsh innovation, talent and ambition on the world stage.
Taking place from 24–26 November 2025 at the ICC Wales in Newport, the event will bring together technology pioneers, investors, policymakers and industry leaders from across the globe to connect, collaborate and do business.
Organised by Technology Connected, Wales Tech Week positions the nation as a global hub for emerging technologies, highlighting how digital innovation is transforming industries—from energy and manufacturing to finance and professional services.
The 2025 summit will spotlight how businesses of all sizes can adopt technology to improve performance, boost sustainability, and stay competitive. It also aims to break down barriers for sectors at different stages of digital adoption, opening new opportunities across the economy.
As part of the international Four Agency Group, Four Cymru will lead on strategic communications, brand storytelling and audience engagement to maximise the summit’s visibility and global impact. With offices in Cardiff, Aberystwyth, London, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, Four brings a powerful platform to showcase Wales’s growing tech ecosystem on an international scale.
Nan Williams, group chief executive of Four and a proud Welsh speaker from North Wales, expressed her excitement about the collaboration: “Wales Tech Week showcases the very best of Wales on the world stage. Cymru is building a special place in the international technology ecosystem—small enough to be connected, ambitious enough to deliver worldwide innovation, and with the hardworking ‘DNA’ to build the future as we built the past.”
“At Wales Tech Week you can experience the innovation, talent and ambition that make Wales a rising force in global tech. From world-firsts in compound semiconductors to cutting-edge cybersecurity, this is where international opportunity meets Welsh ingenuity.”
Through its Difference Makers initiative, Four has previously recognised figures such as Avril Lewis, managing director of Technology Connected, for their contributions to tech and innovation. The firm will play a pivotal role in ensuring the voices and insights of global tech leaders are heard far beyond the event.
Avril Lewis welcomed the partnership: “We’re thrilled to have Four Cymru on board for Wales Tech Week 2025. Their expertise in strategic communications and international reach will be invaluable in helping us tell the story of Welsh innovation to the world. This partnership strengthens our mission to position Wales as a global leader in technology and innovation.”
Wales Tech Week 2025 is set to be a landmark event in the UK tech calendar, uniting entrepreneurs, investors, academics and government to explore the future of digital innovation and its impact on business, society and the economy.
The event will be free to attend and centred around three core themes:

Tech for People
Tech for the Planet
Tech for Performance

To find out more or to register your interest, visit www.walestechweek.com.
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Four Cymru partners with Wales Tech Week to showcase Welsh innovation on the global stage

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is facing renewed pressure to impose VAT on private healthcare, with former Labour leader Lord Neil Kinnock calling for the move as a means of raising billions in extra funding for the NHS.
With Labour’s autumn Budget on the horizon and mounting fiscal pressures following recent U-turns on welfare reform and winter fuel payments, Kinnock has urged the government to remove the VAT exemption currently enjoyed by private healthcare providers.
“Introducing VAT on private health provision could provide vital funding for the NHS and social care,” Kinnock said. “Ending the VAT exemption to generate much-needed revenue is a reasonable and widely-supported step.”
Analysis by the Good Growth Foundation, a think tank with close ties to Labour, suggests that charging the standard 20% VAT on private acute healthcare—excluding services provided to the NHS—could raise over £2 billion annually.
Polling conducted by the foundation in June found that 55% of UK adults supported a windfall tax on private healthcare firms, with strong backing for more progressive taxation to fund NHS services.
“We have sleepwalked into a two-tier healthcare system,” said Praful Nargund, director of the Good Growth Foundation and a former Labour parliamentary candidate. “People are being forced to go private for care they should get for free. That’s not a system in need of tweaks—it’s a system on the brink and in need of major reform.”
The proposal follows Labour’s swift move earlier this year to end VAT exemption on private school fees, a manifesto pledge projected to raise around £1.6 billion.
Labour has promised not to increase income tax, National Insurance or VAT for “working people”, but applying VAT to previously exempt sectors—such as private healthcare—could be framed as closing a loophole rather than breaking a pledge.
That political nuance may appeal to Reeves, who needs to plug an estimated £30 billion fiscal shortfall while maintaining public service spending and avoiding widespread backlash from middle-income voters.
Lord Kinnock argued that taxing private care would address rising inequality in access to treatment, as many patients now resort to paying privately due to long NHS wait times.
“After 14 years of underinvestment, many people are turning to private healthcare not out of choice, but because they cannot afford to wait,” he said. “This has increasingly led to unequal access to care.”
Kinnock’s VAT proposal comes shortly after he also called for a wealth tax on individuals with assets over £10 million. His plan for a 2% annual levy on the ultra-wealthy could raise up to £11 billion a year, he claimed, and would enjoy the support of a “great majority of the general public”.
While no such measures were included in Labour’s election manifesto, pressure is growing from within the party’s own ranks and affiliated think tanks to adopt bolder tax policy as a route to rebuild public services.
The Conservative Party has condemned both the wealth tax and the proposed VAT on private healthcare, warning that such policies risk driving investment out of Britain.
“Taxing those who create jobs and invest in the UK is the worst thing to do when growth is needed most,” a senior Tory source said. “It sends the wrong signal and risks pushing capital abroad.”
However, with NHS waiting lists still above 7.5 million and pressure on health and social care mounting, Labour is likely to face growing calls to take bold, revenue-generating steps in its first Budget this autumn.
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Rachel Reeves urged to apply VAT to private healthcare in bid to fund NHS

More than 125 top business leaders from across the UK have written to Chancellor Rachel Reeves urging the government to introduce a tax relief scheme to support companies that invest in training young people not in employment, education or training (Neets).
Senior executives from companies including Toyota, JCB, and leading manufacturers signed the open letter, warning that without urgent action, Britain faces the risk of “confining a generation to the scrapheap”.
The number of 16–24-year-olds in the UK classed as Neets hit 923,000 at the end of March 2024, according to official figures. Business leaders say targeted support is needed to tackle the country’s youth worklessness crisis and to make training more viable for employers already facing rising costs.
“A direct and accessible skills tax relief would act as a fiscal incentive, enabling businesses to invest in training young people,” the letter states.
They propose the relief could help cover costs of accredited training programmes, including apprenticeships, vocational courses, and skills bootcamps—all of which are seen as vital in reducing youth inactivity and bridging the UK’s growing skills gap.
Georgiana Bristol, chief executive of the Jobs Foundation, said the current cost burden on firms was preventing them from offering training to young people, despite widespread willingness to do so.
“We are not short of young people with ambition. We are short of clear routes into real work,” she said. “A skills tax relief could give businesses the tools to offer that hope.”
Christopher Nieper, clothing manufacturer and co-author of the letter, said the cost of Neet-related inactivity—both in lost productivity and welfare spending—was now “unsustainable”.
The Centre for Social Justice has proposed a 40% tax credit for businesses hiring and training Neets, estimating it could unlock up to £23 billion in savings for the Treasury through reduced benefit costs and increased tax revenues.
The business intervention comes as both Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Reeves acknowledge the scale of the problem.
“None of us should accept a system that operates like that,” Starmer told MPs at the Liaison Committee last month. “It is broken and needs to be mended.”
Reeves has described the scale of youth unemployment as a “crisis”, but faces opposition within her own party over broader welfare reforms, particularly around disability benefits and cuts to support for those unable to work.
While the Treasury is reportedly aiming to raise £30 billion through tax reforms to fill a fiscal hole, ministers may now have to weigh that against the economic gains of reducing youth unemployment.
The call for a skills-led tax incentive reflects a wider shift in thinking, with businesses now being seen as key delivery partners in tackling social and economic inactivity—rather than relying solely on state welfare systems.
Supporters argue that investing in vocational upskilling and early career development is not just a social good, but an economic imperative in a tight labour market.
Whether Labour’s new government will heed the call remains to be seen. But with youth unemployment nearing the one million mark, pressure is mounting for bold and immediate intervention.
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UK business leaders call on Labour to introduce skills tax relief for training Neets

Former Health Secretary Sir Jeremy Hunt has warned that the UK risks “over-medicalising” everyday life events such as bereavement and job loss, cautioning against a growing trend of signing people off work with anxiety and depression.
Speaking at the Buxton Literary Festival, the former Chancellor said he believed the country had gone too far in medicalising normal human experiences, as welfare claims linked to mental health continue to rise.
“Everyone has trauma – bereavements, sometimes losing their jobs. That is not the same as mental illness,” Hunt said. “I think it’s immoral we are signing off 3,000 people a day saying they don’t have to look for work.”
Hunt, who served as Health Secretary from 2012 to 2018, highlighted that many of those receiving fit notes for mental health conditions would benefit more from social contact and routine than isolation.
“The majority of those have anxiety and depression, and the one thing they need is social contact. If you sign them out of the world of work, their anxiety is going to get worse rather than better.”
His comments come amid significant debate within Westminster over welfare reforms. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), the number of working-age adults in England and Wales claiming disability benefits has jumped by nearly 1 million since 2019, reaching 2.9 million—or 7.5% of the population aged 16 to 64.
Around 500,000 of those new claims are attributed to mental health conditions, particularly anxiety and depression.
The government has faced internal resistance over plans to tighten benefit assessments, with critics arguing that the NHS still lacks sufficient mental health resources to offer viable alternatives to work-related stress or burnout.
While Hunt supports greater openness around mental health, he warned that simply removing individuals from the workplace without adequate support was a disservice to both patients and the public purse.
“What we should be doing is increasing mental health provision on the NHS. For that individual, it’s far better—but it’s also better for Rachel Reeves when she’s trying to make the numbers add up for her budget.”
In a wide-ranging talk, the Godalming and Ash MP also gave his backing to Kemi Badenoch, the new leader of the Conservative Party, who succeeded Rishi Sunak after the Tories’ historic defeat at the last general election.
“We’ve had four leaders in four years. If changing leader was the answer, we’d be doing much better in the polls than we are doing.”
Hunt said Badenoch needed to “move on from contrition” and begin “offering solutions” to Britain’s economic and social challenges.
“There’s a football pitch-sized hole in politics for a party offering solutions. Labour is ducking decisions; Reform is not credible.”
Asked whether he might return to frontline politics, Hunt ruled out a permanent comeback but said he would support Badenoch “if it would help” ahead of any future election.
On a lighter note, the veteran MP joked that his poll ratings may have improved thanks to photographs of him with his family labrador, Poppy, outside Downing Street last July.
“Someone tweeted, ‘God, he’s got a labrador—can I change the way I voted?’ That’s the British public!”
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Jeremy Hunt: ‘We’re over-medicalising anxiety and depression with sick notes’

Aston Martin Lagonda, the iconic British carmaker known for outfitting James Bond, has announced the sale of its stake in the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team as part of efforts to shore up its struggling balance sheet.
The $146 million deal, revealed in a binding letter of intent this week, values the Formula 1 team at $3.2 billion. While the buyer has not yet been disclosed, the move sees Aston Martin offload its 4.6% stake in the team—meaning it never held majority control to begin with.
The transaction marks a significant shift in Aston Martin’s strategy, as the company faces deepening financial challenges. Shares have lost over 50% of their value in the past year, and second-quarter revenues dropped by 34%, driven by sluggish demand for high-performance models such as the Valkyrie and the delayed Valhalla hypercar.
Compounding the pressure is a newly implemented US–UK trade agreement, which reduces auto tariffs to 10%, but only for the first 100,000 vehicles annually. Once that quota is reached, tariffs snap back to a punishing 27.5%—a brutal prospect for low-volume luxury manufacturers like Aston Martin.
Although this represents an improvement on the previously flat 27.5% rate, it’s still well above historical norms, and introduces added volatility into Aston Martin’s most critical export market.
Ironically, while the Aston Martin F1 team has had an underwhelming season on track, the rising commercial value of the sport helped the carmaker command a premium for its minority stake. Back in March, the company had forecast a sale price closer to $100 million, but the final deal ended up being nearly 50% higher.
The team is controlled by Lawrence Stroll, the Canadian billionaire whose Yew Tree Consortium owns 33% of Aston Martin Lagonda. His son, Lance Stroll, races for the team. Existing branding agreements mean the Formula 1 outfit will continue under the Aston Martin name, even as the manufacturer exits its equity position.
Adrian Newey, widely regarded as the greatest designer in Formula 1 history, has joined Aston Martin as managing technical partner, with a mission to lead the team to a world championship.
Despite current performance woes, there’s reason for optimism in the F1 garage. The team has secured the services of Adrian Newey, the legendary engineer behind Red Bull’s recent dominance. Combined with new regulations arriving in 2026, the reshuffle could present an opportunity for Aston Martin’s racing arm to move up the grid.
With its back against the wall, Aston Martin Lagonda is now in cash preservation mode. The divestment is aimed at refocusing on its core automotive operations and securing capital to support upcoming model launches and electrification efforts.
While Formula 1 will remain a key branding tool, the company is clearly prioritising survival over sentiment—cashing in on its minority holding to generate short-term liquidity.
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Aston Martin sells F1 team stake for $146m amid financial struggles