What Lawrence Stroll said during Adrian Newey’s unveiling that left Fernando Alonso ‘squirming’

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Aston Martin have made headlines with an announcement that everyone in the world of Formula 1 had been suspecting was coming for some time.

Adrian Newey will officially start work at Aston Martin’s Silverstone base in March 2025 after deciding that his nearly two-decade-long association with Red Bull had reached a natural conclusion.

It’s unlikely that Aston Martin will reap the benefits of the 65-year-old’s arrival immediately with work on next year’s car well underway and developments on 2026’s vehicle under the new regulations to start before Newey’s tenure officially begins.

But suddenly a team fighting to be the best of the rest a long way off the top four manufacturers in the sport are an exciting wildcard heading into Formula 1’s next ruleset.

The man many expect to benefit the most from his collaboration is Fernando Alonso.

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

At 43, Alonso is showing no signs of slowing down even if his current car isn’t performing to the level that he would like.

Speaking after the event at Aston Martin’s headquarters on the Formula 1 YouTube channel, journalist Will Buxton was reviewing how the event panned out.

Buxton noticed one moment where he could see Alonso wasn’t entirely happy with what team owner Lawrence Stroll said about Newey.

Alonso is the second world champion that Stroll has recruited after Sebastian Vettel.

However, the Aston Martin supremo suggested that Newey’s signing is even more pivotal than either driver being recruited.

Fernando Alonso ‘squirming in his seat’ at Adrian Newey ‘greatest signing’ revelation

Stroll made a point of saying that Newey is the most important and will always be the most important signing that Aston Martin will ever make.

It heaps pressure on Newey, although he admitted that any pressure on his work is internal rather than from senior figures or his rivals.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Aston Martin F1 Team from team principal to lineage

Talking about Stroll’s statement, Buxton said: “It was fascinating, I was watching Fernando during the press conference and he was kind of squirming in his seat every time Lawrence said that Adrian’s signing was the most important thing, the biggest signing they’d ever made.

“You sort of think back a couple of years and he was saying the exact same thing about Fernando and I felt for because he’s just like squirming in his seat like I used to be the golden boy and now it’s Adrian.

“But Adrian said, look Fernando was our great rival for so much of his career Fernando’s been his great rival and he’s really excited to be linking up with Fernando at the team.”

Adrian Newey finally united with Fernando Alonso

Alonso is by far the most experienced driver on the grid having made his debut in 2001 in Minardi.

Although he had a short break from F1 before returning with Alpine, he’s still raced in more Grand Prix than any other driver in the sport’s history.

Newey admitted last year that he had always dreamed of working with Alonso and from next season Formula 1 will finally get to see that partnership in action.

During his unveiling, Newey referred to Alonso as his nemesis, while Helmut Marko admitted that Red Bull tried to sign Alonso earlier in his career.

The question will be whether Newey can have enough of an influence when he arrives to benefit Alonso in 2026 before his current contract ends.

Alonso may try and earn one more year if it looks like he’s got a chance to add to his two world championships but by then other, younger drivers may be offering their services to Aston Martin to work with Newey.