Adrian Newey expects Fernando Alonso to remain with Aston Martin in 2027. The team principal values Alonso’s speed, experience and detailed technical feedback. Alonso also gave a direct answer about his existing contract.
The Spaniard said he has a contract and is not planning a move. Newey believes their working relationship remains productive despite a difficult season. Both men have focused on improving the AMR26 and its Honda power unit.
Aston Martin introduced a large upgrade package at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The revised car delivered the team’s first Q2 appearance of the season. Further engine work followed during a filming day at the Hungaroring.
Newey values Alonso’s detailed feedback
Newey described Alonso as an important part of Aston Martin’s technical work. The two-time champion provides clear comments after every track session. Engineers use those comments alongside data from the car.
Alonso has raced in Formula 1 across several different technical eras. That experience helps him recognise changes in balance and grip quickly. Newey also praised the driver’s pace and commitment inside the team.
Their cooperation began when Newey joined the Aston Martin project. Alonso had wanted to drive a car designed under Newey’s direction. The AMR26 gave them their first full season of direct work.
Results have remained difficult during the opening months of 2026. However, Newey separated that struggle from Alonso’s personal contribution. He said keeping the Spaniard remains important for the team’s progress.
Alonso gives a direct answer about his contract
Alonso answered questions about his future without leaving room for speculation. He said his current contract remains active for the next season. He also stated that he is not moving elsewhere.
The answer supports Newey’s confidence about their continued partnership. Aston Martin therefore retains an experienced reference during another development cycle. That continuity also helps the engineers compare changes across seasons.
Alonso joined Aston Martin before the start of the 2023 campaign. He collected several podium finishes during his first year with the team. Those results established him as the leading driver in its recent history.
The current season has presented a very different competitive picture. Aston Martin started behind the main group under the new regulations. Alonso has continued testing updates while the team searches for performance.
Hungary provides the first signs from the upgrade
Aston Martin brought sixteen listed developments to the Hungarian Grand Prix. The package changed several visible areas of the AMR26. Friday practice gave the team its first comparison with the old specification.
Alonso reached Q2 for Aston Martin for the first time this season. That result followed months without progress beyond the opening qualifying segment. It offered a useful result from the revised car.
The race ended with Lance Stroll thirteenth and Alonso fourteenth. Those positions did not deliver points, but both cars finished together. The team gathered a full race distance with the new parts.
Newey described respectability as the immediate target for Aston Martin. He did not present the Hungary package as a complete solution. Instead, the weekend supplied a clearer base for further work.
Honda follows the chassis work with a new engine
Honda ran an updated power unit during Aston Martin’s limited track day in Hungary. The first track test followed the team’s recent chassis changes. Aston Martin completed the running after the Grand Prix weekend.
The revised engine is planned for its race debut in the Netherlands. Honda gathered initial information before Formula 1’s summer shutdown. The filming day allowed controlled running without a full race programme.
The partnership experienced difficult moments during the first half of 2026. Team staff and Honda engineers then changed parts of their working process. Communication improved between Silverstone and Honda’s base in Sakura.
Alonso and Stroll now have two connected areas of development. The Hungarian chassis package remains on the car after the break. Honda’s new specification adds another measured change at Zandvoort.
Aston Martin keeps an experienced reference for 2027
Alonso’s continuation gives Aston Martin stability during a demanding rebuild. He understands the old package and the major Hungarian revision. That knowledge supports direct comparisons when new parts arrive.
Alonso finished second in Monaco and Zandvoort during the 2023 season. Those results remain his best finishes with Aston Martin. He ended that championship in fourth place among the drivers.
Eight podium appearances made his first Aston Martin season especially productive. The team has not matched that early level during 2026. His experience from both periods now supports the recovery work.
Newey also receives feedback from a driver with extensive race experience. Alonso has worked with many engines, tyres and aerodynamic concepts. His comments therefore contain references from a long Formula 1 career.
The driver’s statement removes one immediate question around the 2027 line-up. Newey’s response shows that Aston Martin welcomes the same outcome. Their attention remains on improving the current car together.
The next evidence arrives when the updated engine races at Zandvoort. Aston Martin will compare that package with its Hungarian baseline. Alonso remains central to that work under his existing contract.
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