Aston Martin is set to be one of the teams to watch in the future following the arrival of leganadary designer Adrian Newey next year.
Newey’s next move was one of the main talking points of the 2024 season, following the stunning announcement that he was set to leave Red Bull at the end of the year.
Red Bull had effectively cultivated their success around Newey’s genius with his last contribution, the RB19, achiving something no F1 car has done in the history of the championship.
It is a significant coup for Aston Martin, especially now that F1 is pressing ahead with significant rule changes for the 2026 season.
Newey is known for his ability to exploit loopholes in new regulation sets, and this will present an ample opportunity for Aston Martin to improve their fortunes on track after a disappointing season.
For Fernando Alonso, the move means he finally gets to work with Newey, having previously missed out throughout his career. Speaking to BBC Sport, Alonso issued an exciting one-word answer when asked to describe his feelings over the arrival.
Fernando Alonso thinks ‘destiny’ brought him and Adrian Newey together
Newey has previously stated that Alonso is one of the two drivers he would have loved to work with when in F1, with the other being Lewis Hamilton.
Having come close to a move to Ferrari, the Aston Martin job coupled with Alonso is the next best thing and on paper, should reap rewards for the Silverstone-based team.
Alonso is excited for the partnership and explained why he thinks the time has finally come, having missed out on a drive at Red Bull.
“Destiny,” Alonso says. “It seems like destiny, always, I was missing the opportunity. But he came now at the end of my career and I will still enjoy as much as I can, try to learn from him.
“We have this mutual respect. We exchanged some messages and spoke from time to time and it seems like we connected always. We never worked together but we were always in the same frequency when we talked in the past. I am looking forward.”
Can Fernando Alonso win a third title at Aston Martin?
Alonso is contracted until the end of the 2026 season, having signed an extension with the team earlier this year.
It is expected this will be the final team Alonso races for in F1, with the rule changes in 2026 being the last role of the dice for the Spaniard before he calls time on his career.
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Alonso has not won a championship in nearly two decades, and it is hard to see whether he will still have the motivation if the car is not as competitive as they think on track.
Newey is also understood to want a driver on Oscar Piastri’s level at Aston Martin, so winning a third title will be a tall order given the level of competiveness in F1 at the moment.
