F1 champ Fernando Alonso gives promising update on team's first Adrian Newey car

Formula 1

Fernando Alonso gives promising update on team's first Adrian Newey car

Fernando Alonso and Adrian Newey are colleagues at Aston Martin

By Sam Cook.

Thursday 17 July 2025 19:00

Fernando Alonso has given an encouraging update on Adrian Newey's focus during his first year at Aston Martin.

The Spaniard revealed that Newey isn't getting distracted with the underperforming AMR25, and is instead fully focused on maximising the team's chances of capitalising on 2026's sweeping regulation changes.

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The team added design legend Newey to their ranks in March, a man who has claimed 25 championships all told across spells with McLaren, Red Bull and Williams.

2026 is set to be a huge year for the team with ambitions of challenging for championship titles in the future, with a comprehensive set of regulation changes offering opportunity for the team, but also huge challenges.

"He’s working, he’s involved," Fernando Alonso told Spanish broadcaster DAZN at the British Grand Prix. "He’s very motivated. But it’s true that this year’s car doesn’t seem to interest him much.

"Every time we ask something about this year or how to improve something, he gets up and goes to another office. So he’s already in 2026 mode."

Adrian Newey joined Aston Martin in March

Will Aston Martin challenge for championship in 2026?

When Newey left Red Bull to join Aston Martin, it was a huge statement from the Silverstone-based outfit.

Newey had always expressed a desire to work with either Alonso or Lewis Hamilton before their careers in the sport were up, and he now has a chance to help Alonso claim a so far elusive 33rd career victory, or even mount a challenge for a third world title.

However, at 43 years of age, the Spaniard has shown some signs of decline during 2025, currently sat behind team-mate Lance Stroll in the drivers' championship.

Stroll's father Lawrence Stroll - who is the team owner - has given the outfit all the tools they need to try and make a step up when the new regulations enter the sport, with a state of the art new facility in Silverstone, and the signings of Newey and Enrico Cardile from Ferrari.

Questions still remain over their driver lineup, however, with Stroll's poor form in 2023 and 2024, alongside Alonso's struggles this campaign, not offering much hope that either driver will be able to challenge for podiums even if given an improved machine in 2026.

NASCAR Red Bull Aston Martin Fernando Alonso Adrian Newey