It seems there was added motivation behind Adrian Newey’s decision to join Aston Martin in the form of Fernando Alonso.
Adrian Newey will be raring to get to work with Fernando Alonso if his past comments are anything to go by. The 65-year-old engineering expert is set to join Alonso at Aston Martin next season after departing Red Bull.
He was linked with Ferrari, where he would’ve worked with Lewis Hamilton for the first time, but has instead opted to remain based in England and join forces with another driver he holds in high regard. Newey said it would be “fantastic” to have two-time world champion Alonso on the same team as him when the Spaniard was linked with Red Bull in 2019.
He told Spanish magazine Esquire: “Working with him would have been fantastic. He seems to have had bad luck with some choices he has made, but whenever we have spoken with him, he has been very kind.
“Fernando’s ability often exceeds the car in his hands. I think that’s the mark of a truly great driver – the ability to stand out despite not having a great car.”
Newey admitted more recently that Alonso and Hamilton were two drivers he would like to work with before retiring. In an interview with F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast last year, he was asked if he had regretted not having Ferrari on his CV.
“Emotionally, I guess, to a point, yes. But just as, for instance, working with Fernando and Lewis would have been fabulous. But it never happened. It’s just circumstance sometimes, that’s the way it is,” he answered.
Newey (right) is set to join forces with Alonso at Aston Martin in 2025 (Image: Getty)
While the regret about not working alongside Hamilton will now likely live on, Newey is set to get his wish with Alonso. He’s believed to have signed a five-year deal with Aston with an annual salary possibly worth up to £30million, as per the BBC.
It seems like a match made in heaven, with Newey preferring drivers who can fulfil the maximum potential of the cars he designs – exactly what he praised Alonso for. Owner Lawrence Stroll is hoping to take the team to the next level with him in the garage.
It’s been touted he could also fork out to reunite Newey with Max Verstappen, who’s contracted with Red Bull until 2028 but has only verbally committed to them for another year. Both of their current drivers, Alonso and Lawrence’s son Lance, are tied down until the end of 2026.
