Jolyon Palmer predicts ‘immense’ Fernando Alonso change once he starts driving Adrian Newey’s first Aston Martin F1 car

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Aston Martin have been on a downward spiral for the past two Formula 1 seasons.

Fernando Alonso joined Aston Martin from Alpine at the beginning of the 2023 campaign.

The Spaniard has been on a quest to add to the two drivers’ championships that he won in 2005 and 2006.

Spells at Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, and finally Alpine had left Alonso frustrated, but his start to life at Lawrence Stroll’s team suddenly looked very positive.

The 43-year-old finished on the podium six times in his first eight races for the team, but Alonso has failed to record a top-three finish since the 2023 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

This year has been particularly frustrating for the two-time world champion, with fans labelling Alonso the unluckiest driver on the grid.

That luck has started to change, as he’s now scored points in each of his last four races.

He still sits behind teammate Lance Stroll in the standings, but excitement is beginning to grow for F1’s 2026 regulations and the impact of new signing Adrian Newey.

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

Jolyon Palmer says Adrian Newey’s presence will change Fernando Alonso’s radio messages

Newey arrived at Aston Martin’s Silverstone base in March after nearly two decades of working for Red Bull.

He’s won 14 championships across his Formula 1 career, and Lawrence Stroll and Alonso will hope that 2026 is when he once again adds to that tally.

Newey is hard at work behind the scenes at Aston Martin, with next year’s car his sole focus.

Jolyon Palmer was speaking on the F1 Nation about his arrival and his desire to work alongside Alonso at some point in his career.

Palmer said: “How long have they waited to work together as well?

“The mutual respect there is through the roof, so I don’t know if we’ll necessarily get the same team radio messages coming back when there’s an Adrian Newey-built car that’s on the other end of it and a whole team galvanised to try and get back towards the front end.

“I think the respect there is going to be immense.”

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

Aston Martin chief Adrian Newey expects F1’s 2026 regulations to be ‘huge challenge’

For the first time in recent Formula 1 history, next year’s regulations will see a power unit and chassis change.

It’s forced many teams to switch focus to their 2026 cars already, bringing an end to any hopes of major developments being delivered between now and the end of the season.

Aston Martin are in no rush to make major changes to this year’s car, with the arrival of Newey and Honda power units highlighting their commitment to next season.

Newey is predicting every team to struggle with the 2026 ruleset, with the minimum weight of each car lowered by the FIA, but heavier power units being installed in each car.

Alonso has admitted he might not have the best racecraft in F1 anymore, but he’s still more than capable of mixing it with the best.

Aston Martin have experienced how angry Alonso has been with his car this season on the team radio, but that could all be about to change once he’s behind the wheel of Newey’s latest creation.