Fernando Alonso has dismissed the notion that a single individual can solve Aston Martin's current struggles, as speculation continues to swirl about the team potentially securing the services of legendary F1 engineer Adrian Newey.
The two-time world champion believes that the team's turnaround requires a collective effort and a focus on understanding their car's characteristics.
Aston Martin has been going nowhere fast in the midfield this season, and currently sits fifth in F1’s Constructors' standings, a whopping 218 points adrift from fourth-placed team Mercedes.
After failing to score a top-ten finish in last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, Alonso touched on the speculation surrounding Newey’s potential arrival but emphasized that the team needs more than just one high-profile hire to regain its competitive edge.
“I think it’s not only one man’s job to fix things,” he told the media at Monza.
“It’s more what we have now and what we are producing. Understanding what is going in the right direction, what is going in the wrong direction, and try to prepare 2025 in a better way.”
Next season will mark the final year of the sport’s current technical regulations, making it crucial for Aston Martin to understand and address the issues impacting its AMR24’s performance.
Despite the challenges, Alonso remains optimistic about the team's ability to improve, drawing inspiration from the progress made by McLaren and Mercedes in a short period.
“I think we still have time to react,” he said. “It’s the first of September. McLaren improved in four months from last to podium. So we have clear examples.
“Also, Mercedes started the same as us. We were level with Mercedes for the first four races, and they won three races already this year. So I’m not a fan of excuses.”
Alonso recently underscored Aston’s strong foundation, built up by the vision and investments of team owner Lawrence Stroll. The team start-of-the-art new infrastructure at Silverstone coupled with a works engine deal with Honda for 2026 bode well for the outfit’s future.
And Alonso insisted once again that the team’s focus should be on its long-term game plan, meaning its 2025 campaign must be all about gearing up for Formula 1’s change of landscape in 2026.
“We need to understand that the big target is 2026,” said the F1 veteran.
“But at the same time, I think as a team, we could accept not being in the top four battle. They are top teams and they are well in front of us.
“But now to be behind Williams, behind Haas, behind Toro Rosso, I think we need to raise the bar a little bit. We need to get better.”
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