F1 champion Fernando Alonso gets behind wheel of Adrian Newey Aston Martin

Newey and Alonso on the podium in Canada — Photo: © IMAGO

Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso gets behind wheel of Adrian Newey Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso tried out the Valkyrie

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Tuesday 6 January 2026 11:55

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Fernando Alonso has taken to the track to try out a new Adrian Newey-designed Aston Martin car ahead of the 2026 F1 season.

Newey joined Aston Martin last year, and has been getting to work on the new regulation changes that are sweeping into the sport for the 2026 season which may give Aston Martin a chance to make a jump on their rivals.

The 67-year-old is largely considered to be the best car designer that the sport has ever seen, winning 26 championships across his career with the likes of Williams, McLaren and Red Bull.

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When Newey left Red Bull in 2024, the design legend was also working on hypercar projects for both Red Bull and Aston Martin despite not being involved in the F1 operation.

The second version of his RB17 car design was released earlier this week, while Newey's Valkyrie has now been taken for a spin by Aston Martin racer Alonso.

The hypercar was created in a partnership between Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing, and blends elite performance with an ability for all car enthusiasts to enjoy it if they have the funds, with it available to buy for around £3million.

Taking to Instagram, Alonso posted a picture of him racing the Valkyrie around the Barcelona track, with the caption reading: "Valkyrie on track."

Aston Martin themselves also posted a series of pictures showing the Valkyrie on track.

Alonso's hopes rest on Newey

For all his success, Newey has always stated that he wanted to work with either Alonso or Lewis Hamilton, largely considered to be the best two drivers of their generation.

He now has the chance to return two-time world champion Alonso to winning ways, with the 44-year-old Spaniard not having claimed a title since 2006, or a race victory since the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix.

2026 is the final year of Alonso's current contract, and he will be hoping that he can add more podiums and potentially even a 33rd race victory to his tally.

Alonso has already stated that whether he signs a new contract or not will be entirely down to Aston Martin's 2026 performance. Should they be challenging for race wins and podiums, he said, then he will likely retire at the end of 2026, whereas if they are still in the midfield, then he will likely sign a new contract and gamble on Newey and the rest of the team turning things around in 2027 or 2028.

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Sam Cook - Digital Journalist

Sam Cook is a talented young sports journalist and social media professional who now specialises in Formula 1, having previously worked as a football journalist and a local news reporter for a variety of different brands.

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F1 Aston Martin Adrian Newey Fernando Alonso