Alonso: We learn from Newey every time we speak with him

Newey's move from Red Bull Racing to Aston Martin has been—aside from Lewis Hamilton's shift to Ferrari—one of the most high-profile moves in Formula 1 recently.

The legendary F1 designer has changed his work address from Milton Keynes to Silverstone in the aftermath of Christian Horner's sexting scandal in 2024 and the civil war that erupted within the team as a result, and ultimately ended with Horner's sacking last week.

Newey's arrival at Aston Martin was a timely one, as the team moved to their new headquarters in the buildup to the 2026 season, which will feature totally new F1 cars with new regulations both on the chassis and power unit side.

Aston Martin insisted Newey is focused on their 2026 single-seater as well as getting their brand-new wind tunnel set up along with the preparation of other tools.

But the design genius has been seen in the Aston Martin garage a few times so far in 2025, probably learning how the team operates as well as giving some feedback on their current car, the AMR25, which has been significantly improved with some recent upgrade packages.

Speaking to the media over the British Grand Prix weekend, Alonso revealed some details on his relationship with Newey and the effect the latter has had on the team since he joined back in March.

"We had a couple of lunches together,” the double F1 champion said. "Generally [focused on] things about the team, about the simulator, how to make things a little bit more realistic, and he has a lot of experience [of] how a top team should fight for championships and try to be on top of the game in every area.

"It's not only the aerodynamics. When we think about Adrian, it is all aero performance; I think Adrian has a much wider view of how the team should operate, so we all learn from him every time that we speak with him," he added.

Newey will be around for some time with Aston Martin, as he has joined them as a shareholder in addition to being their tech boss.

On the other hand, Alonso's contract runs out at the end of the 2026 F1 season, with questions surrounding his future as he is now the oldest driver on the grid at 43.

But the Spaniard insisted he is not thinking about the future right now when asked; he said: "No, not really. Not in my mind now.

“The decision will be made next year, I think, around summertime or before, to have things clear as soon as possible. Right now, the championship is challenging this year. We didn't start as competitive as we thought, and now we want to turn the situation [around].

"We want to finish the second part of 2025 as strong as possible. Then 2026—everything remains to be seen. Step by step, and [it’s] impossible to think right now into 2027," Alonso concluded.

Alonso is currently 14th in the 2025 F1 drivers' standings with 16 points to his name. (Reporting by Agnes Carlier)