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Speculation surrounding Adrian Newey is at an all-time high, with Fernando Alonso expressing his belief that Aston Martin’s turnaround will require more than just the genius of design.
If McLaren, along with Mercedes and Ferrari to a lesser extent, have been the surprises of the 2024 season, then Aston Martin must be considered the biggest disappointment.
The string of podium finishes at the beginning of 2023 now seems like a distant memory, with Alonso and his Canadian teammate now battling for position with teams like Williams and Haas.
Despite BusinessF1’s report of Newey signing a multi-million dollar deal with Ferrari, it appears that Lawrence Stroll has successfully convinced him to join Aston Martin instead.
Prior to the official announcement of Newey’s signing, expected to be made on Tuesday, Alonso acknowledges that the designer, who has achieved championship success with McLaren, Williams, and Red Bull, will face a daunting task.
“Fixing things isn’t solely one person’s responsibility,” stated Alonso during the weekend as speculation about Newey intensified. “It’s about our current situation and what we are producing.
“Understanding what’s going right, what’s going wrong, and preparing for 2025 in a more effective manner,” he added.
Although Newey is technically still Red Bull’s chief technical officer until March 2025, he is essentially on leave and working solely on the RB17 Hypercar project. Once he is released from his obligations in April 2025, he cannot sign with a rival team until September 6, tomorrow. This means he will not have any input on Aston Martin’s 2025 car, making the immediate future uncertain for the team.
“Our primary objective is 2026,” explained Alonso. “But we also need to strive to not fall behind teams like Williams, Haas, and Toro Rosso. We need to push ourselves to improve.”
“We still have time to make progress,” he insisted. “McLaren improved from the bottom to podiums in just four months. We have examples to follow.
“Mercedes started at the same level as us. We were neck and neck with them for the first four races, and they’ve already won three races this year. I don’t believe in making excuses.”
Newey has expressed regret for never working with Alonso or Lewis Hamilton in the past. With both drivers now in their forties, it’s uncertain if he will ever have the opportunity to collaborate with them.
Once Newey joins Aston Martin, the team is likely to attract top talent, including drivers like Max Verstappen who would be eager to work with the man who helped him secure three titles. Meanwhile, Alonso finds himself leaving a team just as they begin to see success once again.
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