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Aston Martin hasn't shone this season as many had anticipated. Experienced driver Fernando Alonso has struggled to replicate past successes, especially given the underperforming car.
Recently, there's been talk that Adrian Newey, the mastermind behind Red Bull's success, might join Aston Martin. Newey had previously confirmed he would leave the Austrian team at the end of the season to take a break from F1. While he hasn’t ruled out a return, some believe he might quickly find a new team.
Back in May, there was considerable speculation about Ferrari’s efforts to convince Adrian Newey to leave Red Bull at the end of the season and join the Italian team. The news from that morning shocked many.
Red Bull confirmed that after 19 years, the team’s technical chief and legendary engineer, who was responsible for their car, would be leaving at the end of the season.
Newey was certainly one of the best engineers Formula 1 had ever seen, and his decision greatly surprised Red Bull fans.
Fernando Alonso addressed these rumors, suggesting they remain just that; rumors. He emphasized that Newey isn’t someone who can magically fix all issues. The Spanish driver is focused on ensuring that his team addresses current and future season challenges and corrects any mistakes they’re making.
“Well, there’s still only rumours, and I think it’s not only one man’s job to fix things,” Alonso said, as quoted by Crash.
“It’s more what we have now and what we are producing. Understanding what is going in the right direction, what is going in the wrong direction, and try to prepare 2025 in a better way.”
Given Aston Martin’s struggles this year, Alonso acknowledged that there’s not much more he can do. He admitted that both he and Stroll are giving their all to help the team succeed, but they can’t change everything. Reflecting on the season, Alonso noted that the difference between him and Stroll has been minimal. However, the last race brought a different dimension, where the experienced driver had a clear advantage over his teammate.
“Nothing we can do. I mean, we are in our team’s hands, and I think Lance and myself, we’re trying to do the best we can every weekend.
One inspired weekend, like this one from my side, I know it’s going to be completely anonymous.
This year we’ve been Lance and myself very close, two or three seconds away at the end of the race is always in front or behind. And today was one of those weekends that I was a little bit better, and I was happy with the car and pushing to the level that maybe was beyond 100%, and that was P11."
Alonso admitted he’s disappointed and stressed the need for patience, with the main goal being set for 2026. He stated that it’s understandable for Aston Martin not to be in the top-four battle right now, given how strong the leading teams are. However, he believes that being behind teams like Williams, Haas, and RB means they need to step up their game.
Looking ahead to next year’s car, Alonso is optimistic that there’s still time to make improvements. He pointed out that McLaren made a big leap from being at the back to reaching the podium in just four months, showing that progress is possible.
The Spaniard also commented on Mercedes, which has struggled to find its rhythm and consistently compete at the top. The German team surprises fans week after week. While there are moments when they briefly resemble the strong form of previous years, it quickly becomes clear that Mercedes is still far from being the dominant team it once was.
Fernando Alonso on the upgrade
The experienced Spaniard expressed frustration, saying, “I think until we get an upgrade on the car, this is where we are, and it’s just not good enough.” He stressed that the performance has been lacking in recent races, including Monza, Zandvoort, Spa, and Hungary. Alonso added that he doesn't expect significant improvements in Baku, Singapore, or Austin unless new parts are introduced.
Fernando confirmed that this is the plan and that the team is aware of the situation they are in. He emphasized that the most important thing is for the team to work hard to address the issues, and he called for unity. Alonso believes that making progress step by step is crucial to reach their ultimate goal.
Aston Martin is happy to have such a driver in the team who brings a new dimension to the team with his experience and qualities. We will see how much the Spaniard can do in the rest of the season. Expecting huge progress is not realistic, but small steps forward are an option that is realistic to expect.
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