Fernando Alonso has admitted that the arrival of Adrian Newey at Aston Martin F1 next year could change several things. First of all, he admits that he will think about retirement only after driving the 2026 single-seater designed under the direction of the famous engineer.
“I’d be lying if I said I haven’t thought about it. Adrian will arrive in March next year and focus on 2026, so let’s see how I feel at the end of 2026 and if I can continue. This will be a decision we make together as a team, with Lawrence [Stroll]with Adrian” Alonso said.
“For me it’s an incredible opportunity because driving one of Adrian’s F1 cars is something very special, but also because when you work with people of Adrian’s caliber you have so much to learn from ’em. It’s extremely gratifying.”
The two-time world champion reveals he had hoped to see Newey sign for the Silverstone team from the day his departure from Red Bull was made official. And he even contacted him personally: “I was hoping Adrian would join me when he decided to call it quits with his old team.”
“To begin with, you dream that it could be a possibility. There were a few rumors about him joining different teams and I asked Lawrence, Martin Whitmarsh, several people in the team if we had contacted Adrian. “
“I even ended up contacting him. I have his phone number and I sent him a message: ‘What a surprise! If you ever think you’d like a new challenge, I’d love to work with you someday.’ .”
“I then discovered that Adrian and Lawrence were in contact. Lawrence kept me informed of the negotiations. When Adrian decided to join us, I was very happy but also very proud that he wanted to work with us and that he believes in our project It also shows what Lawrence can do, only he can do certain things.”
“His passion for motorsport and his vision for Aston Martin Aramco is limitless. I have never seen anything like it – someone so determined, so passionate. He is an inspiration to everyone on the team is a privilege to work with him.”
Support from fans helps “open your eyes”
Alonso also explained in the same interview that he has a role with his fans, whom he inspires on a daily basis: “It’s special, but you often don’t realize how much you mean to people until you experience moments with emotional fans or hear incredible stories support.”
“It opens your eyes. You see the respect they have for you, what they know about you, and you see how you inspire them to be better or to accomplish something. You see people who have experienced challenges. difficult times in their lives, who see your career and are inspired by it.”
“They see that you never gave up and they write you a letter to tell you their story and when you read it, when you hear this story, that’s when you realize what you can mean to someone. ‘another.”
“It wakes you up in a way, because you’re so focused on the next race, the next meeting with your engineers, the next piece of performance that will make the car a hundredth of a second faster.”
“It’s a never-ending quest, adding performance to the car, becoming a better driver, and you’re so focused on those things that you don’t see big enough to realize the impact you’ve had and how much you matter to people.”
“Victory is closer” with Newey
The Spaniard is still chasing his 33rd victory in Formula 1, having not won for more than ten years. He recognizes that Newey’s arrival gives him some hope, even if he doesn’t give himself too much hope: “Victory is closer with Adrian than without him, that’s for sure. He has an incredible track record in Formula 1.”
“I am aware of my situation and I hope I can be there to drive this fast car that Adrian is producing, but if it doesn’t arrive in time for me to drive, I will still enjoy it because I will always part of the team and this exciting journey with Aston Martin.”
Alonso believes his 33rd victory could send a good signal to the younger generation: “I thought about it and it would mean a lot. Winning another Formula 1 race after all these years would be a real statement: never give up, always fight for your dreams, follow your passion, do what you want to do “It would mean a lot to me, but also to the sport itself.”
“And that could mean a lot to many young drivers: if they go through a period of failure, it doesn’t matter, what matters is that you do what you love to do. If you keep trying to give your best, improve yourself, work hard, and if you can be in the right place at the right time, success can happen.”
“We are doing everything we can within the team to make this a reality. It will be very special if we achieve it. It will be special for me, special for Aston Martin and special to reward everyone who has helped me sustained over the course of my career.
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