Fernando Alonso: Adrian Newey’s Monaco presence ‘raised the level of the team’

Fernando Alonso believes Aston Martin immediately benefitted from Adrian Newey’s presence at the F1 Monaco Grand Prix.

Last weekend’s Monaco GP was the first for Newey on-site in Aston Martin colours.

Newey’s immediate focus is on Aston Martin’s 2026 project, where they will run Honda engines for the first time.

However, Aston Martin boss Andy Cowell confirmed that Newey is still having an impact on the 2025 car with conversations about the AMR25 over lunch at the team’s Silverstone campus.

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, Alonso spoke positively about the impact of having Newey on the team.

“Yeah it was fantastic,” Alonso said in the FIA press conference on Thursday. “I think the way he sees things on the car, even statically in the pit lane or on the grid, also in the garage, spotting some things we could have done better or do better in the future but also just his presence in the meeting room it’s always special.

“Not intimidating but I think the level of the team was higher thanks to his presence because everyone was more focused, more into the details of the car.

“People that were talking in the meetings know they can’t say anything too far from the truth because he will spot it.

“I think that was great to witness and I hope next year with more races that he will come we will keep learning from him and getting better as a team.”

Will Alonso’s bad luck end on home soil?

It has been a miserable season for the two-time F1 champion in 2025.

Alonso has yet to get off the mark, leaving him 18th in the current F1 drivers’ standings.

The Spaniard rued being the unluckiest driver on the grid after the timing of the Safety Car at Imola did not work in his favour.

Alonso was on course to score points in Monaco had it not been for an engine-related issue.

The Spaniard was forced to retire from the race after being certain of a top-seven finish in the principality.

While Alonso has not scored a point in 2025, luck has been on teammate Lance Stroll's side.

Stroll bagged big points in Australia and China, putting Aston Martin eighth ahead of Alpine and Sauber.