A Formula One car’s most important performance gains are rarely the ones spectators can see. Airflow, aerodynamics and thousands of engineering decisions work beneath the surface, shaping what eventually happens on the circuit.
Few understand this better than Adrian Newey, Aston Martin Formula One Team’s Managing Technical Partner. His approach to design is built around looking beyond the obvious — understanding how seemingly invisible details can transform performance.
It is a philosophy that finds an unexpected parallel in whisky-making. For Glenfiddich Malt Master Brian Kinsman, a single malt is similarly shaped by decisions made long before the finished whisky is revealed. Cask selection, maturation, balance and timing can take years to come together, with each detail contributing to the final character.
That shared pursuit of precision and foresight sits at the heart of Glenfiddich and Aston Martin Formula One Team’s second year of partnership, expressed through two limited-edition single malts inspired by Kinsman and Newey.
Where Engineering Meets Whisky
The Glenfiddich & Aston Martin Formula One Team 16-Year-Old Limited-Edition Release No.2 and 19-Year-Old Limited-Edition Release No.2 explore the idea that exceptional results are often determined by what happens behind the scenes.
The 16-Year-Old Release No.2 takes a layered approach, with maturation across five cask types: first-fill bourbon barrels, Port pipes, Oloroso sherry casks, wine casks and a final touch of Fino sherry butts. The combination builds progressively, bringing together Glenfiddich’s fruit-led character with stewed fruit, floral notes, marzipan and polished leather, followed by creamy toffee, caramelised cane sugar and dry oak.
The 19-Year-Old Release No.2, available exclusively through Global Travel Retail, takes a more geographically diverse approach. Initially matured in traditional whisky casks, the spirit is divided across Colombian, European and American oak before being reunited for a final marriage.
Colombian oak brings brightness to the richer profile, while sherbet, baked apple, crystallised ginger and cinnamon contribute to a vibrant yet composed expression.
Both are bottled at 43% ABV, but their contrasting approaches reflect the same underlying principle: individual elements may be subtle on their own, but their combined effect can fundamentally shape the finished result.
The Details Behind Performance
For Kinsman, that connection with Newey is particularly apparent in the role of decisions that are not immediately visible. “The character of a single malt is shaped by countless precise decisions over time,” he says, pointing to cask selection, balance, maturation and timing as elements that can be subtle individually but transformative when brought together.
The same thinking underpins Aston Martin Formula One Team’s AMR Technology Campus and advanced Air Tunnel facilities, where aerodynamic concepts are developed and refined long before their impact can be seen on the racetrack.
It is also where the collaboration moves beyond a conventional meeting of whisky and motorsport. Both disciplines demand patience, technical understanding and an ability to anticipate how individual decisions will affect the final outcome.
For Newey, that means understanding airflow and engineering a car around details most spectators will never see. For Kinsman, it means knowing how spirit, oak and time will interact years before a whisky reaches the glass.
The latest Glenfiddich and Aston Martin Formula One Team releases bring those two disciplines together around a simple but compelling idea: the most important work is often the work that happens before the finished object is revealed.
