Alonso anticipates Newey's 'magic' in just a few weeks.

      "Newey is undoubtedly a genius, but..."

       By GMM

       14 March 2025 - 17:58

      

      Adrian Newey's "magic" could be observable at Aston Martin within a matter of "weeks," according to an optimistic Fernando Alonso.

      Newey, 66, departed Red Bull during the team's upheaval last year and has recently come out of his 'gardening leave' at Aston Martin.

      Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko is downplaying the impact of his departure.

      "Formula 1 is a small world, and there are always changes within teams," he said on Servus TV. "I don’t know of any driver or engineer who has exclusively worked for one team.

      "And Newey was no longer employed full-time with us—he only spent a few days at the factory. This allowed him to develop a more extensive group of engineers for us. It is no longer just one person making everything happen—it's a team effort.

      "Newey is a genius, no doubt, but he also requires a team surrounding him," Marko added.

      Meanwhile, Aston Martin team principal Andy Cowell has indicated that since Newey began working eleven days ago, he has concentrated solely on the completely new car project for 2026.

      Alonso mentioned that he has not had any communication with the renowned Briton yet.

      "So far, I haven’t received any feedback from Adrian, as I haven’t spoken to him yet," the Spaniard stated in Melbourne.

      "What I’ve learned from Andy and the engineers is that he has already visited the factory in Silverstone. But initially, it was about getting acquainted with the team and meeting everyone.

      "It’s still early days, but he is very focused and enthusiastic about the future, especially considering the 2026 regulations," Alonso continued.

      "Hopefully, we’ll see some of his magic in the coming weeks and months. I look forward to hearing directly from him when I return to Europe about how he views our situation."

      Regarding the 2025 car, 43-year-old Alonso approaches the new season with modest expectations. "I think it’s improved compared to what we had before," he said, "but it’s still not in the ideal position, 100 percent."

      Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore cautions Aston Martin not to place all its hopes on Newey.

      "One individual can assist," he told Corriere della Sera, "but he cannot change everything.

      "Adrian is the true talent of F1, but he still requires a team capable of translating his ideas."

      Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, who frequently spends time with Newey and his manager Eddie Jordan in Cape Town, confirms that Newey is "already completely focused on next year."

      "There will undoubtedly be a few new faces joining, possibly ones Newey will bring from Red Bull or other teams," Schumacher told Sky Deutschland. "However, I don’t anticipate Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso being competitive until 2026.

      "This year will be more about 'hanging in there' as they restructure the team. Overall, I expect another challenging year for them. But next year will feature a new team with new people around Newey. I am quite certain of that."