Adrian Newey baffled by one Fernando Alonso stat that ‘doesn’t reflect his ability’

Adrian Newey will embark on a new adventure in Formula 1 in 2025 as he joins Aston Martin from Red Bull.

The legendary engineer has had an incredible track record of building teams up from the ground to race winners, having worked with the likes of Williams and McLaren before joining Red Bull in 2006.

Newey joined the Milton Keynes-based outfit when they were in the midfield after buying Jaguar the year prior. He would go on to design the cars that would win six constructors’ titles (2010-2013, 2022-2023) and eight drivers’ championships with Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.

Now, he wants to replicate that success with Aston Martin after Newey confirmed his departure from Red Bull in April 2024. The Brit will join the Silverstone-based outfit in the second quarter of 2025.

Aston Martin have made major changes off the track in anticipation of Newey’s arrival as CEO Andy Cowell takes over from Mike Krack as team principal. Cowell wants to ‘unencumber’ Newey when he joins the team, and he sits at the top of the hierarchy alongside Cowell and team owner Lawrence Stroll.

Aston Martin were one of two teams to retain their drivers from 2024 with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll signing new long-term contracts. They will be piloting Newey’s first major design under the 2026 engine and chassis regulations.

Adrian Newey says Fernando Alonso’s two world championships do not ‘reflect his ability at all’

Newey has had the privilege to work with many F1 greats, including Nigel Mansell, Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen and Kimi Raikkonen. In 2025, he will get to work with another champion in Alonso.

The Spaniard has been one of Newey’s closest rivals over the years from his time at Ferrari. Alonso was Vettel’s closest challenger for the championship in the early 2010s.

Alonso battled the German hard in 2010 and 2012 in search of his third title but narrowly missed out both times. The 43-year-old was unable to achieve championship success with Ferrari but remained a ‘thorn in the side’ for Newey and Red Bull.

Now, the duo’s rivalry turns to colleagues as they start work on their exciting project in 2025. Speaking on the ams.F1 YouTube channel, Newey highlighted he has the greatest respect for Alonso and that his two world titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006 ‘doesn’t reflect his ability at all’.

Asked if he was excited to work with Alonso, Newey replied: “Yes, absolutely. Fernando’s been a bit of a thorn in the side through the years!

“It will be good to be working with him. I’ve got a huge amount of respect for Fernando. The fact he’s only won two world championships is, on paper, [it] doesn’t reflect his ability at all”.

Can Adrian Newey build a title-winning car at Aston Martin?

Since joining Williams in 1991, Newey has won championships everywhere he has gone in the paddock. Lawrence Stroll will be expecting the same from him when he arrives later this year.

It is hard to imagine the Brit having a huge impact on Aston Martin’s 2025 car given he does not join the team until April. Therefore, his main focus will be on 2026 and nailing the new regulations as the team heads towards becoming a works Honda team.

The Silverstone-based outfit need a boost after dramatically falling backwards in 2024 from the year prior. Despite scoring 186 fewer points in the Constructotrs’ Championship, Alonso refused to call 2024 a bad year as Aston Martin had acquired Newey’s signature.

The Spaniard will be eyeing a third title with Aston Martin – he would not have signed a new two-year deal if he did not believe he could win with the team. Peter Windsor thinks Alonso has a great chance for the title in 2026 under Newey’s technical leadership.

The same cannot be said about his teammate after Alonso has outperformed him in the last two years. Newey has already issued a brutal verdict on Stroll and if his performances do not pick up, he may be having a conversation with his father about his future.