"Makes me feel very safe": Fernando Alonso lauds Adrian Newey’s approach to F1 design

Fernando Alonso is confident of Aston Martin’s new technical leadership, with Adrian Newey at the center of it. The legendary Formula 1 car designer's arrival at Silverstone has reshaped the team’s long-term ambitions. For the Spaniard, working with him is a source of personal assurance at this late stage of his career.

Adrian Newey’s signing in 2024 marked one of the most significant moments in Aston Martin’s modern project. Lawrence Stroll convinced the 14-time championship-winning designer to join as Managing Technical Partner, a move that quickly reset expectations inside the team.

Newey's arrival was part of a broader rebuild that also brought Andy Cowell, former head of Mercedes HPP, to advise on the power unit program, Enrico Cardile from Ferrari to direct technical operations, and a new works partnership with Honda ahead of 2026.

Fernando Alonso (C) with the Aston Martin F1 Team at the Silverstone Headquarters. Source: Getty

For Alonso, now in his 22nd Formula 1 season, the project’s timing could not be more important. When asked what it meant to finally work with the designer who shaped eras at Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull, Fernando Alonso said (via an interview on Aston Martin’s YouTube channel):

"The best ever designer in the sport and no one probably will achieve the numbers that he has... He has an incredible way of seeing the car as one piece that works together, not single devices that provide performance.... He seems in control of everything all the time. A self-confidence that probably I never saw before. He’s not stressed about any other team or any other philosophy or any other design. He believes that his will be the best. (It makes me feel) very safe." (17:23 onwards)

Adrian Newey’s resume explains why. He has over 200 Grand Prix wins, 14 Drivers’ titles, and 12 Constructors’ titles. Newey’s influence has defined multiple generations, from Williams FW14B in the 90s to Red Bull’s more recent RB19. For Aston Martin, his eye is already locked on the 2026 regulations, where the team hopes his presence will finally turn them into a championship threat.

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Fernando Alonso calls Aston Martin "the place where I want to have the last opportunity"

Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin before the F1 Dutch Grand Prix. Source: Getty

At 44, Fernando Alonso knows he is closer to the end than the beginning. Yet the fire that drove him through two world titles, a brief retirement, and a comeback still burns, now tied directly to Aston Martin’s project.

His results over the past two years have underscored the challenge. Alonso started the 2025 campaign with no points in the first eight races, which included three DNFs. And while he has since collected 32 points across 16 rounds, he sits 12th in the standings. But despite those results, the motivation remains intact. When asked what still drives him, the Aston Martin driver said in the same interview:

"Personal challenge, I would say. Try to win again in Formula 1. The project itself, Aston Martin, the great facilities that we've now, the great people that join the team as well. I feel very proud to be part of the organization and it keeps me in the best shape possible because I know that I've a responsibility over my shoulders being in an incredible organization like Aston Martin. And that’s the place where I want to have the last, the last opportunity in F1." (0:40 onwards)

For Fernando Alonso, this twilight chapter is less about collecting podiums and more about chasing one last shot at glory. He has staked that hope on Aston Martin and on Adrian Newey’s vision for the future.