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| Credit: Joe Portlock/Bryn Lennon - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images |
Fernando Alonso’s 2025 Formula 1 season has been a bit of a moot affair so far.
The Spaniard has been stuck with an underperforming Aston Martin car, with little point in developing it beyond the European leg of the campaign.
The fast-approaching 2026 F1 regulations mean that the team and new signing Adrian Newey are completely focused on a new and long-term project.
For the time being, it means that Alonso will be subject to some pain, but there could end up being a whole lot more gain if they can nail the new rules.
Alonso should have rejected an Aston Martin mistake at the last race in Belgium, after failing to reject the team’s idea to use a high-downforce setup. It cost him in race trim.
The problem is, Newey is ‘semi-teaching’ Aston Martin staff how to use new tools in the factory as they go along. It may take them a little more time to adjust to their new surroundings.
Aston Martin sources made a ‘strange’ claim about their 2025 updates and believe that they have focused on driveability rather than performance.
It hasn’t yielded much of a return, as they sit eighth in the constructors’ championship, just one point ahead of ninth.
Newey is ‘pushing the boundaries’ at Aston Martin and wants to make sure that everyone at the team is as prepared as possible for next season.
And now Alonso has warned that the Briton is already preparing something that might scare his rivals at this early stage.
“The cars are very different, and the things we’ve already learned, like improvements or wind tunnel data, have been checked,” he told Marca.
“We’re just waiting until January 2026 to see how fast we are. Something big is coming, and we’re 100% focused.”
Why Adrian Newey will be hungry for success with Aston Martin in 2026
The last time Newey had full influence over a Formula 1 car was back in 2023 – the last time Red Bull had a really dominant machine.
That isn’t likely to be a coincidence, but it does make 2026 even more exciting for Aston Martin, whose car will be at his mercy.
Newey has a pass to be as creative as he would like, and he comes into his own particularly at the start of new regulations. He loves to find a loophole.
Another bonus will give Newey a ‘major advantage’ at Aston Martin, with Honda supplying their power units for the future.
If they can replicate what they did at Red Bull, then there’s a strong chance of good results waiting for them in 2026.
- Shay Rogers
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