Fernando Alonso remains convinced that Adrian Newey’s technical leadership will ensure Aston Martin ends up with the best car on the grid.
The new Aston Martin was among the most anticipated Formula 1 cars of 2026 following Newey’s arrival at the team in March last year and a new power unit supply deal with Honda under the sport’s revised technical regulations.
However, Newey recently revealed that wind tunnel work on the car started four months later than its rivals and the team also faced the challenge of designing its own gearboxes for the first time since the mid-2000s.
Due to delays in the build of the car, Aston Martin sacrificed over half of its track time at the opening test of the season in Barcelona, and the AMR26 remained over four seconds off the pace in last week’s test in Bahrain.
But Alonso says major developments are still in the pipeline for the new car and he has full confidence in Newey’s ability to lead the design of the fastest chassis on the grid.
“Melbourne’s car is going to be very different,” Alonso said. “I saw some pictures, and Adrian said at the launch as well.
“We have a guy [in Newey] that after 30-plus years in Formula 1 has been dominating the sport all of those, so eventually we will have the best car. It’s a matter of time, but we want to have that as soon as possible.”
Alonso hinted that Honda’s development, rather than Aston Martin’s, might be the limiting factor for the team this year.
The Japanese manufacturer missed out on roughly one year of development under the new regulations after initially planning to leave the sport before being tempted back to work with Aston Martin from 2026 onwards.
“The power units, it’s a little bit more difficult because we don’t have the good understanding yet on the regulations and what is needed,” Alonso added. “But on the chassis side there is no question mark on that. After 30 plus years of Adrian dominating the sport, it’s not that he will forget everything in one year.
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“I don’t know where we are now in terms of chassis and grip level, but even if we are not at 100 now, we will be at 100 soon because we will fix any problem on the power unit. I think we need to give time and understand where we are. And if we are behind, get better as soon as possible.”
Former F1 driver and Aston Martin team representative, Pedro de la Rosa, said the team was aware of the reasons for its slow start and is already working on a plan to resolve the issues.
“Looking back is always easy, but saying ‘we should have’ doesn’t work in motorsport,” he said. “If we had possibly started earlier, if Adrian would’ve been here not on March 2, a few months earlier, if Honda wouldn’t have gone [from F1] and then come back. It’s ifs and buts.
“Bottom line is, we are slow, we are not where we want to be, so let’s get a plan together. We know exactly what is wrong, and work on it.”
De la Rosa also praised Newey’s leadership and vision since the legendary F1 designer took on the role of the team principal position over the winter.
“Since Adrian has arrived, his leadership is unquestionable,” de la Rosa added. “For example, after a very difficult day testing here in Bahrain, he spoke in the technical debrief and his leadership is so strong all the team knows exactly what they have to do.
“This is very different from previous years, where everyone could have their own theory about things. Adrian is very clear what has to be done. No one raises their hand to question him.
“Therefore, you have this massive amount of resources working in one single direction. I know it might not sound convincing to you, but believe me sitting there listening to his comments, was very inspiring. Especially when things go wrong, when things go right you don’t need a leader.”
