Fernando Alonso reveals Adrian Newey’s message to Lawrence Stroll over ‘control’ at Aston Martin

Adrian Newey is set to join Aston Martin as the Formula 1 team’s managing technical partner on March 1, yet is already in touch with Fernando Alonso to discuss ‘control’.

The Silverstone squad secured a superb coup in September as Aston Martin announced that Newey was to join on the back of quitting Red Bull. He opted to leave the team from Milton Keynes last May after 20 years, which yielded eight drivers’ titles and six constructors’ titles.

Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen both won four F1 drivers’ championships in succession driving cars that Newey designed after joining Red Bull in 2005. Now, Alonso hopes to be the next to drive a championship-winning Newey car, and add to his 26 titles in Formula 1 so far.

Adrian Newey tells Fernando Alonso and Lawrence Stroll that Aston Martin ‘cannot control him’

Billionaire Canadian owner Lawrence Stroll went all-in to tempt Newey to join Aston Martin ahead of Formula 1 introducing new engine and chassis regulations in 2026. As part of their deal to seal for his arrival, Stroll made Newey a 5% shareholder in the Aston Martin F1 team.

Newey is now seeing out the final days of his gardening leave from Red Bull ahead of taking charge of Aston Martin’s design department. Yet what Newey focuses on remains a mystery for Alonso, who has revealed the Briton is clear he and not Aston Martin will be in ‘control’.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about F1’s 2026 engine and chassis regulations

Newey has told Alonso and Aston Martin owner Stroll that only the 66-year-old will decide if he works on helping the Silverstone squad improve their 2025 package or focuses on hitting the ground running in 2026. F1 teams could begin designing their 2026 cars back in January.

“I think he’s going to be a free spirit,” Alonso said, via Marca. “I don’t think you can tell him what to do. So, the day he joins, if he can help us on the ‘25 [car], fine. If he wants to work on the ‘26 [car], fine, too, because then he has clear ideas and doesn’t want to miss a day.

“I have asked him several times and Lawrence, too, and he always tells me that we are not going to be able to control him, or tell him what he would do well. He does what he wants.”

Adrian Newey could take Aston Martin to the front of F1 with the 2026 regulation changes

Stroll’s passion was a key factor in Newey’s decision to reject offers from almost every outfit on the F1 grid in favour of Aston Martin. He thinks the Canadian is a rare breed amongst the current batch of team owners as Stroll is a real racer at heart and wants to win in Formula 1.

READ MORE: All to know about Aston Martin F1 Team from team principal to lineage

It is unlikely that the Silverstone crew will win much this year, though, as Aston Martin failed to develop their 2024 car and finished the season 374 points behind the big four teams. But F1’s 2026 regulations might reset the order and see Newey move Aston Martin to the front.

Newey has told Aston Martin to avoid using their new wind tunnel until he arrives in March, as well. He is keen for the team to avoid wasting any of their permitted hours before having a say on the design of their 2026 car, with Aston Martin accepting next year may be the one.