Fernando Alonso shares what he’s learning from ‘every conversation’ with Adrian Newey at Aston Martin

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Adrian Newey is one of the most enigmatic members of the Formula 1 paddock, largely down to his prowess in aerodynamics and building championship winning cars.

The designer is one of the most successful figures in his field within the sport, boasting 12 constructors’ titles and 14 drivers’ championships in machinery that he designed himself.

The value he adds to a team is immeasurable. Mika Hakkinen recently chose McLaren’s signing of Newey as the happiest moment of his career. It’s a big statement, considering the Finnish driver went on to win two world titles.

Upon his departure from Red Bull earlier this year, teams scrambled to try and secure his signature. Ferrari were front-runners to sign Newey, but were unable to get the deal over the line after Aston Martin came calling.

READ MORE: All to know about Aston Martin managing technical partner Adrian Newey

Fernando Alonso believes Adrian Newey is a ‘great solution’ to the issues with Aston Martin’s F1 car

Speaking to media ahead of F1’s return to action after the summer break, Fernando Alonso opened up about what he has learnt from Newey since the designer joined the ranks at Aston Martin in March.

“Very few can understand him; he’s a very special person,” Alonso said, via Marca. “You spend more time with him and learn from his way of working and approaching the day-to-day challenges of Formula 1.

“We’re still in a learning phase. From every conversation, every idea. We take everything very carefully to understand how each thing is perceived.

“That makes us grow as a team. All the ideas and questions he has, along with his explanations, are a great solution for the team, the car, and the drivers, in terms of how we handle corners, top speed, and tyres.”

Alonso has been dying to work with Newey since his rookie season in 2001. He narrowly missed his window of working with the designer when he joined McLaren in 2007, with Newey parting ways with the British constructor to work for Red Bull in 2006.

READ MORE: Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso’s life outside F1 from net worth to Cars 2

Aston Martin have reaped the benefits of Adrian Newey since he joined the team in March

Alonso warned his rivals on the F1 grid about Adrian Newey’s effect on the team. The two-time world champion has already declared that the 66-year-old design genius is cooking up something big for the Silverstone-based constructor in 2026.

It isn’t just through his ingenious designs that Newey is helping the team, however. Alonso previously pointed out the inspiration that Newey has brought with him to the factory, uplifting everyone in the team in ways that ‘cannot be quantified’.

Ahead of the British Grand Prix, Newey helped optimise a floor upgrade for Alonso’s AMR25 in one of his first noticeable changes since joining the squad.

The new part helped Alonso to a P9 finish, and was also utilised in the Spaniard’s season-best fifth-place at the Hungaroring.