Fernando Alonso texted Adrian Newey to pitch Aston Martin F1 move

Fernando Alonso revealed he texted Adrian Newey following the announcement of his Red Bull departure to try and persuade him to join Aston Martin.

The legendary 65-year-old F1 designer will become Aston Martin’s managing technical partner in early 2025 having signed a five-year contract reportedly worth up to £30m a year following his decision to quit Red Bull after nearly two decades.

Two-time world champion Alonso, who is under contract at Aston Martin until the end of 2026, said he reached out to Newey shortly after his exit from Red Bull was confirmed in May.

“I was hoping Adrian would join when he decided to stop with his previous team,” Alonso told Aston Martin’s official website.

“To start with, you dream that it can be a possibility. 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 Stroll were in contact. Lawrence kept me up to date on negotiations. 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.”

Alonso, who turned 43 in July, admitted at the recent Azerbaijan Grand Prix he might run out of time to benefit from Newey’s work in response to a question from Crash.net.

In the Aston Martin article, Alonso went on to say he “would be lying if I said I didn't think about” how Newey’s arrival could impact how long he continues racing in F1.

“Adrian will arrive in March next year and dedicate his time to 2026 so let's see how I feel at the end of '26 and if I can keep going: it will be a decision that we make together as a team, with Lawrence [Stroll], with Adrian,” the Spaniard added.

"For me, it's an incredible opportunity because driving one of Adrian's F1 cars is something very special, but also because when you work with people of Adrian's calibre there is so much that you can learn from them. It's hugely rewarding."