Fernando Alonso Celebrates Adrian Newey's Aston Martin Onboarding - 'Incredible Opportunity'

Saajan Jogia | Sep 10, 2024

May 2, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Aston Matrin driver Fernando Alonso (14) speaks to the media in advance of the F1 Miami Grand Prix at the Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

As Aston Martin celebrates the appointment of Formula 1's greatest aero guru, Adrian Newey, Fernando Alonso expressed delight at the announcement as he revealed how the valuable addition to Aston Martin could be an "incredible professional opportunity" for him.

Newey, Red Bull's chief technical officer, led the Formula 1 rumor mill into overdrive after announcing his departure in May but kept his next destination a secret. While his visit to Aston Martin's AMR Technology Campus at Silverstone in June gave away the answer, speculations about his talks with Ferrari, McLaren, Alpine, and Williams made it tricky for the F1 fraternity to guess his next destination.

The man responsible for Red Bull's dominance in Formula 1's current ground effect era that began in 2022, Newey was the most wanted designer on the grid, especially after the Milton Keynes outfit won 21 out of 22 Grands Prix last year.

In a press announcement today, Aston Martin officially confirmed the signing of Adrian Newey as its managing technical partner and a shareholder. The 65-year-old will embark on a fresh journey with Aston Martin on March 1, 2025.

Alonso, who eagerly awaits an upgrade to his AMR24 F1 car, thanked Newey for designing competitive cars in the premier class, which helped "raise the bar." He said in a statement, as reported by GPBlog.com:

"We’ve been racing against each other for many years. I would say that it was more an inspiration. Thanks to Adrian, his talent and his cars, I think we all got better. That’s as a driver, as engineers, as teams, we all had to raise the bar thanks to him to be able to compete."

The Spaniard indicated a bright future for Aston Martin considering Newey's appointment, and with Honda becoming Aston Martin's official power unit supplier from 2026. He added:

"It's an incredible day for the team. Lawrence’s vision is taking shape with this building, with Adrian, with Honda, with Aramco, the new wind tunnel. It’s definitely the team of the future, I would say.

"It's going to be an incredible professional opportunity to work with Adrian and to keep wearing this green colour, which I'm very proud to be part of. But also on a personal side, it’s an incredible opportunity to work with these people. You can learn so much from them. I was talking with Lance a few weeks ago about the incredible opportunity we have to witness and to work with Lawrence and with everyone at Aston Martin. We are learning a lot of things on track and off track, and it's a part of our personal growth as well."