Veteran Formula 1 (F1) icons Fernando Alonso and Adrian Newey have amassed years of experience in the racing industry. Recently, Alonso unveiled a prediction from Lawrence Stroll, the owner of Aston Martin, stating that the racing team might find Newey ‘uncontrollable’ when he joins next month. Newey’s arrival at Aston Martin has been the subject of much speculation within the team’s Silverstone headquarters.
Newey, a leading figure in car design, was persuaded to join Aston Martin’s project with a singular goal — to design a car capable of winning the World Championship. The former Red Bull designer is expected to have complete freedom within the team, with Stroll reportedly saying that the 66-year-old won’t be easily managed. Alonso relayed Stroll’s sentiments to the Spanish media during the F1 75 event, stating, “Adrian is going to be a free spirit, you can’t tell him what to do.”
This freedom, however, isn’t seen as a threat but rather as a potentially beneficial aspect of Newey’s involvement. Alonso suggested that Newey’s presence in the team could be advantageous, whether he decides to contribute in 2025 or wait until 2026. According to the Spanish F1 driver, Newey’s clear vision and unwavering focus hold the promise of great value for the team.
“He doesn’t want to waste a single day,” Alonso said, revealing that he had discussed Newey’s role with Stroll several times. “He always tells me that he doesn’t think we can control him.”
Newey’s move to Aston Martin is expected to greatly benefit Alonso, who is in the twilight of his F1 career. For Alonso, partnering with Newey is an exciting prospect, and he believes that a figure like Newey can have a greater impact on the team’s success than any individual driver.
“Adrian Newey will always have more impact than any driver,” he stated. “Drivers come and go, the 20 of us here try to drive well and we have achieved things until we get to F1.”
Even with high-profile drivers like Lewis Hamilton potentially joining Ferrari, Alonso believes that a designer’s contribution to a team is invariably more significant.
The start of the year also saw Andy Cowell, former staff member of Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains, step into the role of team principal. Cowell spoke enthusiastically about Newey’s upcoming role and the restructured team dynamics aimed at increasing efficiency.
“We made organizational changes to make the existing organization more efficient,” Cowell explained to the media, including PlanetF1.com, in London. “Flatter organizations are naturally more efficient with less reporting lines. Communication is quicker.”
Cowell also revealed that some changes were made with Newey’s arrival in mind but emphasized that the primary goal is to improve the efficiency of their business. With Newey set to begin in March, anticipation within the team is high, and Cowell confirmed that a spacious new office, equipped with a drawing board, is ready for the designer’s arrival.
“We’re just excited to have Adrian on board, to work on the creativity of our race cars, to work on our methods,” Cowell concluded.
