Aston Martin is still lagging behind in winter testing in Bahrain, but Fernando Alonso continues to believe in Adrian Newey, who “hasn’t forgotten everything in a year.”
Aston Martin was the big disappointment at the first winter test in Bahrain: Adrian Newey’s team is lagging far behind the competition and bluntly admits its lack of performance. But despite all the predictions, Fernando Alonso apparently remains hopeful for a turnaround.
“The power unit is a bit more difficult because we don’t yet fully understand the regulations and don’t know exactly what is required,” explains the two-time world champion with regard to the new partnership with Honda. “But on the chassis side, there are no question marks.”
That’s because the team’s great hope remains design genius Adrian Newey. “After more than 30 years of dominating the sport, Adrian isn’t going to forget everything in one year,” says Alonso. Nevertheless, the 67-year-old Briton’s concepts for the AMR26 do not yet seem to be having the desired effect.
“I don’t know where we stand now in terms of chassis and grip level, but even if we’re not at 100 percent yet, we’ll be at 100 percent soon because we’ll solve every problem with the power unit,” Alonso adds. “We need to take our time, understand where we stand, and if we’re behind, improve as quickly as possible.”
Adrian Newey is “an incredible designer”
Alonso remains confident for the 2026 season. “Absolutely,” says the Spaniard when asked by Sky Sports F1 if he can now understand what makes Newey the extraordinary competitor he is. “He’s different. He’s an incredible designer and has a very different way of working within a team.”
He continues: “In an era of computers and simulations, Adrian still talks to the driver and uses feedback on the problems you have. He can grasp the big picture of the problem and probably already has the solution in his head. It’s fascinating in a way to talk to him and learn from him, and I’m definitely looking forward to this year.”
However, the reality remains: “We are not in the position we wanted to be in,” admits Alonso. At the season opener in Melbourne, they will definitely not be among the fastest. But hope remains, because after all, Adrian Newey has not forgotten how to build successful race cars.
