The 2026 season may be Fernando Alonso’s final year on the F1 grid, and he is thoroughly enjoying working with Adrian Newey to ensure that Aston Martin’s F1 car can challenge for a world championship.
The Spaniard has been very vocal during his maiden season working with the British designer in F1, with Alonso regularly being surprised at the work Newey is undertaking.
In a testament to how crucial he is to any team he has been a part of, Mika Hakkinen picks McLaren’s appointment of Newey in 1997 as the happiest moment of his F1 career.
Quite the compliment, considering the Flying Finn went on to win consecutive championships in 1998 and 1999.
When his services became available after his exit from Red Bull in September of 2024, F1 teams saw themselves in a different kind of race to secure his talents.
Aston Martin reigned victorious, and Alonso has hinted at the storm Newey is currently brewing at their factory in Silverstone.
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Fernando Alonso finds working with Adrian Newey ‘enriching’ ahead of the new 2026 F1 regulations
Speaking in a recent interview with Diario AS, Alonso was fielded a number of questions regarding the influence that Newey has had on him since his addition to the Aston Martin set-up at the start of the season.
Asked if the 66-year-old design genius is living up to expectations, the two-time F1 world champion replied, “Yes, he’s definitely up to the task. He’s a different designer compared to anything I’ve seen before. Very methodical, but at the same time mystical. Brilliant.
“He doesn’t have a very defined roadmap; he’s all inspiration, and that’s very interesting from the outside.
Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP via Getty Images
“But he also combines that with the rigour inherent in Formula 1 in terms of timing, quality, and inspiration. So far, it’s been enriching to work with him; we’ll see next year.”
Due to Alonso currently being in his 22nd year of racing in F1, it’s incredible to think he hasn’t worked with the longtime designer in any of his previous tenancies.
Newey spent the last 18 years of his career in the sport as the chief designer for Red Bull. In that time, the British engineer designed cars that would go on to win eight drivers’ championships and six constructors’ championships.
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Fernando Alonso reveals Adrian Newey’s impressive way of working at Aston Martin
Newey hit the ground running once he joined up with his new colleagues at the Aston Martin factory in Silverstone.
With a few months at the team under his belt, Newey helped Aston Martin engineers optimise an upgrade on their 2025 car for the British Grand Prix in July. The new part was a success, and it aided the team in achieving their first double points finish of the current campaign.
When asked about how much influence the drivers have in Newey’s plans, Alonso replied, “Newey asks questions that concern him, seeking the driver’s perspective, with this type of car, this type of load, the top speeds we expect to reach, or when to cut the battery mid-straight.
Photo by Andrew Ferraro/Getty Images for Aston Martin
“There will be a different dynamic when approaching corners because the car will handle differently; it will be lighter and with different tyres.
“He tries to anticipate the future and thinks about the speed at which you’ll approach a corner in Barcelona and what you’d like the car to do—more front end, more rear end, more power under braking.
“He asks all these questions because he’s already visualising the part of the car he wants to change to make you more comfortable.”
It’s a fascinating deep dive into one of the most impressive minds in the world of F1. If Newey manages to build a car good enough for either Aston Martin driver to secure a world championship, it would mark the fourth F1 team that the British designer has brought glory to in an unprecedented Formula 1 feat.