Alonso Worried He Might Miss Out on Newey’s Impact at Aston Martin

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Fernando Alonso, a two-time F1 world champion, is thrilled about Adrian Newey joining Aston Martin, but there’s a lingering concern—will Alonso be around long enough to see the full effects of Newey's influence?

Alonso revealed he had a hand in convincing the legendary F1 designer to come aboard, though he's unsure if he’ll still be driving by the time Newey’s work fully bears fruit.

After months of speculation, Aston Martin officially confirmed on Tuesday that Newey would start working on their 2026 car project in March 2025. The move follows Newey’s departure from Red Bull, where he’s been finishing up the RB17 hypercar project. Newey’s availability stirred interest from multiple teams, with Ferrari and others vying for his expertise once he indicated he was ready to leave Red Bull.

Alonso, eager to collaborate with Newey, admitted he made efforts to persuade the veteran designer. However, with his driving future uncertain beyond the 2026 season, Alonso knows his time to experience Newey's magic on the track might be limited.

Back in April, Alonso extended his contract with Aston Martin through 2026, but he's already hinted at transitioning into an ambassador role after his driving days are done.

"It has been a positive week for the team with the announcement and he's a great addition to the team," Alonso said. "For me, what I think is that the Aston Martin team is the team of the future, in a way.

"We have quite good things coming in the next few months in the team. Step by step, we have all to have that first race win and hopefully fighting for championships in the future.

"I'm aware that this takes time and I don't have that time, in a way. But I'm relaxed and I'm enjoying the journey."

Alonso also shared that he had spoken with Newey during the Monaco Historic Grand Prix, where the design mastermind competed in a 1968 Lotus 49B.

"I texted him, for sure, like everybody did probably, that wanted to work with him," he explained his role in convincing Newey to join.

"I saw him also at the Monaco Historic Grand Prix and we spent half an hour chatting as well.

"We all tried to persuade him and I think ultimately Lawrence and his vision, the new factory and what Aston Martin wants for the future, together with Honda as well, were probably key factors listening to what Adrian said."

As for his own future, Alonso was asked if he’d still be racing by the time Newey’s plans came to life. His answer? A bit open-ended.

"I will be driving in 2026. After 2026 I will be driving...or in Formula 1 or in other series.

"If I'm not driving in Formula 1, I will be in the Aston Martin team, somehow. So I will enjoy that bright future, hopefully."Aston Martin in some capacity. I’m looking forward to that future, no matter where I am.”

Team boss Mike Krack lightheartedly added that Alonso is so excited about Newey’s arrival, he even offered to chip in for Newey’s salary.

"It is clear Fernando has a long future in this team and he was all excited about it. On Tuesday he was even saying that he will pay some of his wages to pay Adrian," Krack jested.

"There was a talk about 10%, 20%, so, I will find out later today how much it really is.

"But you can really see the huge respect that these two people have for each other and I think they want to achieve something.

Krack went on to emphasize the mutual respect between Alonso and Newey, hinting that both men are eager to collaborate and achieve something remarkable together.

"For Adrian, he wanted always to work with someone like Fernando, and vice versa."