Alonso regrets never working with one ‘legend of the sport’

Fernando Alonso has enjoyed a massively rich career in Formula 1 that connected him with many outstanding engineers, but the Spaniard admits that never working with design guru Adrian Newey is an unfulfilled aspiration in his illustrious career.

Newey stands as one of the most celebrated and influential figures in Formula 1 history. His designs have propelled teams and drivers to unparalleled success, cementing his legacy as a true innovator in the sport.

The engineering genius of the man who oversaw the conception of Red Bull’s dominant 2023 RB19 has transcended the realm of mere design, shaping the very trajectory of the sport on a technical level.

Max Verstappen's recent victories with Red Bull have further solidified Newey's legacy and boosted his achievements to an astonishing 12 Constructors' Championships and 13 Drivers' Championships, extending his remarkable impact on F1 across his stints with Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull.

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• Horner: Newey ‘within half an hour’ of leaving Red Bull for Ferrari

The list of drivers who have raced Newey-designed cars to championship glory is nothing short of legendary: Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve, Mika Hakkinen, Sebastian Vettel, and Verstappen.

Interestingly, despite the impressive list of champions associated with Newey's machines, there are notable omissions.

In a ‘Beyond The Grid’ podcast appearance earlier this year, Fernando Alonso emerged as one of the two drivers Newey would have loved to work with, according to the Briton himself.

“Working with Fernando or Lewis [Hamilton] would have been fabulous, but it never happened,” he said. “It’s just circumstance, sometimes that’s the way it is.”

More recently, in response to Newey's comment, Alonso remarked: “I read [it] also a few months ago. Honestly, [he’s] a legend of the sport.

“We’ve been very close a few times to work together, and we spoke about this. I remember when he published a book a few years ago, in Spain I had the privilege to do the [foreword].”

Alonso admitted that working in F1 in the same ear as Newey was already a privilege as far as he was concerned.

“For me, it’s just an incredible person that I was so lucky to work in the same environment as him, even if we never worked together,” he added, quoted by Formula1.com.

“I’m happy that I’m living and I’m driving in this time that Adrian Newey is building Formula 1 cars.

“I wish one day I was working with him. I will drive the Valkyrie [Aston Martin hypercar] at home and maybe I feel something already when I jump in and that would make me happy!”

Asked if he would have won more than two world championships in F1 by working with Newey, Alonso facetiously replied: “He’s responsible for 19 drivers for two decades not to win championships!”

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