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Aston Martin managing technical partner Adrian Newey has revealed that he was very close to working with two-time world champion Fernando Alonso during his Red Bull days. Newey was unveiled as the new team member of the iconic British brand on Tuesday, September 10, after a four-month-long saga.
The aero wizard left Red Bull in early May after a 19-year-long association, which saw him design race-winning machinery and propelling them to seven driver's and six constructor's championships.
In his press conference at the Aston Martin factory, Adrian Newey spoke about the opportunity to finally work with Alonso, whom he had described as an 'arch-enemy' and even shared that he was close to working with him around 2008 and 2009. He said:
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“Fernando, of course, we’ve battled against each other for so many years. He’s been a bit of a kind of arch-enemy at times.
"We came so close to him joining Red Bull in 2008 for the 2009 season, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite happen, which is a great shame, so we continue to battle against each other. He’s a legend of the sport. So I’m very much looking forward to working with him.”
Adrian Newey shares a few reasons for joining Aston Martin in 2025
Adrian Newey said that he was impressed by Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll's passion and commitment to the sport while emphasizing that the new building is 'mightily impressive'.
As per F1.com, the aero wizard said:
“The building is clearly mightily impressive, it has a great feel to it. It’s a real demonstration of Lawrence’s commitment and vision of where he wants the team to get to. I don’t know how much it cost but it’s not going to be cheap!
"I think the combination of seeing all the facilities, how nice a feel [it has] and how well thought out the building is, perhaps most of all that very visual demonstration of Lawrence… If I had to describe Lawrence in one sentence, I think he has total belief, he has a direction and he’s happy to put all his chips on black, and that’s what he’s doing here.”
There were multiple teams in contention for the signature of Adrian Newey, including Ferrari and McLaren, but Aston Martin eventually snapped him up, offering him to make a partner in the team as well.
It's being reported that Newey would earn £30 million a season, including bonuses, and has signed a five-year contract with the British team. He will start working at the Silverstone base of the team from March 1, 2025, and look to work his magic ahead of the new engine regulations in 2026.
