Aston Martin’s hiring of Adrian Newey has been touted as a tectonic shift in Formula 1. The most successful aero-engineer of all time would be assisting Fernando Alonso to achieve the ultimate glory for the Silverstone-based team — winning the World Championship.
On paper, Aston Martin has every ingredient to be successful. They have some big engineering names, Honda as its power unit supplier (from 2026 onwards), and a new state-of-the-art factory in Silverstone.
In fact, Newey’s addition could be labeled as the final cog in the piece. However, Alonso thinks there is still something missing.
“I think for me the only thing that we are missing and we are not up to speed is just time you know this team is so new if you compare to any other um title contenders we are just three-four years old you know the team,” said Alonso.
Alonso claimed that while the team will learn from its mistakes, he won’t have time for lessons. On the other hand, he insisted that he was glad about Newey‘s arrival, as a person of his stature was what the team was missing.
Joining forces at last.
Adrian Newey Fernando Alonso. pic.twitter.com/Is5EfaWpSp
— Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) September 10, 2024
According to Alonso, the most crucial addition was the installation of the wind tunnel at the team’s Silverstone base. Aston Martin used to share the wind tunnel with Mercedes, but now with their own new facility, they would have a more efficient modus operandi.
Aston Martin may have made some brilliant hirings and upgrades to the facility. But they will have to be patient before they start to reap rewards.
Alonso and Newey alliance won’t happen soon
As per Eddie Jordan, who manages Newey, the veteran engineer is on gardening leave at Red Bull. So, he can join Aston Martin’s workforce not before March.
Meaning, he can’t contribute to the making of their 2025 car. This might not be the worst thing because Newey would also be late by three months to contribute to the development of the 2026 car, as other teams can start working on them from January 2025.
In all probability, Newey will have to rush to work from day one. So, that’s another obstacle to Aston Martin that might come between their dream.
At the same time, they will have to deal with the possible departure of Alonso in 2026, who admitted he can’t continue in F1 for long.
