F1 legend Adrian Newey admits Aston Martin neglected Fernando Alonso as nightmare season continues

Aston Martin

Adrian Newey admits Aston Martin neglected Fernando Alonso as nightmare season continues

Adrian Newey and Fernando Alonso are trying to turn Aston Martin's fortunes around

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 12 July 2026 18:44

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Aston Martin F1 boss Adrian Newey has admitted that the team's drivers get 'very frustrated' if they feel like their concerns are not being listened to.

The Silverstone-based outfit have had a nightmare start to the 2026 season, struggling with reliability and performance concerns which have left Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll fighting at the back of the pack, if they have finished races at all.

Aston Martin have claimed just one point from the opening nine grand prix weekends of the season, hardly ideal for a team who harboured ambitions of challenging for the championship before the season began.

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Aston Martin brought in design legend Newey in 2025, and also welcomed a new power unit partner in Honda. That new partnership has started horribly, while Newey's start to life as Aston Martin team boss has done nothing to suggest that he will add to the 26 world championships that he has won across his career with his new team.

But, taking on both a managing technical partner role and a role as team principal, Newey has now revealed how important it is for Aston Martin to be listening to Stroll and Alonso, as they try to get to the bottom of the AMR26's issues.

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Newey listening to driver concerns

Two-time world champion Alonso is now 44 years of age, and is the most experienced F1 racer in the history of the sport.

Speaking to media at Aston Martin's Silverstone factory prior to the British Grand Prix, Newey acknowledged it had been 'extremely frustrating' for Alonso and Stroll due to the issues with the AMR26 and the Honda power unit.

He said that he feels compelled to spend time "going through with both Fernando and Lance exactly what we're doing, what we have planned with the upgrade package, what we have planned through going into the 2027 season.

"Whilst it might not seem like it, we are very much listening to their comments and trying to act upon it," Newey continued.

"If people don't feel as if they're being heard then they of course get very frustrated; it's human reactions.

"So perhaps we've been guilty of not spending enough time with Fernando and Lance, Jak [Crawford, reserve driver] here, kind of going through exactly what we are trying to achieve with the upgrade package."

F1 Aston Martin Adrian Newey Fernando Alonso Honda