In May, Adrian Newey announced he was is Red Bull after an impressive 18-year stint. 

Over that time, he helped the team secure 7 Driver’s and 6 Constructor’s Championships, making him one of the most successful designers in Formula 1 history.

Later on, just before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in September, Aston Martin confirmed Newey will join the team, starting from March 2025 onwards.

Under the leadership of Lawrence Stroll, the Silverstone-based squad has ambitious goals to challenge the top teams, and Newey’s experience and expertise are expected to play a key role in their future success.

At the same time, it definitely wasn’t easy for Stroll to convince Newey to get on board with Aston Martin, as the challenge ahead will certainly be a tough one to tackle.

On that note, Fernando Alonso recently revealed that he personally reached out to Red Bull's departing chief technical officer, Adrian Newey, in an effort to encourage him to make the move to Aston Martin before the deal was finalized.

“I was hoping Adrian would join when he decided to stop with his previous team. To start with, you dream that it can be a possibility,” shared Alonso in recent Aston Martin’s introspective.

“There were a couple of rumours that he was joining different teams and I was asking Lawrence, I was asking Martin Whitmarsh, I was asking various people in the team if we had contacted Adrian.

“I even ended up contacting him. I have his phone number and texted him: 'What a surprise. If you ever think you would like a new challenge, I would love to work with you one day.'

“And I then found out that Adrian and Lawrence were in contact. Lawrence kept me up to date on negotiations.”

He also praised Stroll for his exceptional negotiation skills and his determination to get to the top.

“When Adrian decided to join, I was extremely happy but also extremely proud – proud that he wanted to work with us and that he believed in our project.

“It also shows what Lawrence can do – only Lawrence can do certain things. There is no limit to his passion for motorsport and his vision for Aston Martin Aramco.“

While Aston Martin achieved eight podium finishes in 2023, they have yet to secure any podiums this year. The team currently sits fifth in the Constructors’ Championship, hoping for a brighter future with Newey.