According to Lance Stroll, Adrian Newey is eagerly working on the 2026 model, but the designer is already providing helpful input to drivers and the team
Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso still have to wait a little longer before they can finally take their seats in a real car designed by Adrian Newey. The design guru joined Aston Martin at the beginning of the year, making it one of, if not THE most important engineering changes in Formula 1 history.
The Briton couldn’t do much with the current car, except give a few small tips here and there. But Newey is already working feverishly on the new car for the new regulations coming into force in 2026, and according to Stroll, he is working “as if in a trance.” “Adrian is fully focused on designing the car for next year at the moment,” he says.
Stroll was able to get a first rough impression a few weeks ago, but it will take a few more months until the complete car is ready.
The Canadian is of course also excited to see what the end result will be, but so far he has gained a positive impression of the designer: “It’s always great to listen to him and talk about the future,” he says. “But right now, it’s all about building the car for next year.”
Newey is extremely fascinated by the topic: “He’s just incredibly passionate and enthusiastic about the new rules,” Stroll has realized. “What’s impressive is how much passion, focus, and commitment he puts into the new rules—and into the team,” he praises.
“Just the fact that he’s in a new environment, in a new team, and how he’s inspiring everyone there. He’s creating a healthier culture throughout the factory, and that’s pretty great to see.”
The new car will also be a special moment for Fernando Alonso, who has spent years racing against Adrian Newey’s cars and often coming up short. “The more time you spend with him, the more you learn—how he works, how he approaches things, challenges, those everyday things in Formula 1,” said the two-time world champion.
“He’s still a very special person, and I think very few people will ever fully understand him and know exactly what he’s thinking and doing. So we need more time,” says Alonso.
“Right now, we’re in a phase where we’re learning from him. We take every conversation, every idea, everything he says very seriously. We listen and try to understand the approach he is taking with each comment. Thanks to this, we are growing as a team. He is definitely something special.“
So far, the veteran is very impressed with what he has heard from Newey: ”He always explains why he thinks this is a good solution for the team, for the car, and also for the drivers,” he says.
“For example, how to approach the corner entry; maybe next year the car will be completely different from this year, the top speed will change, the tires will be different. He tries to anticipate what the drivers can expect at certain moments on a lap, in qualifying compared to the race, and all those things.” Alonso’s conclusion: “He is very instructive.”
