
Fernando Alonso’s 2024 season with Aston Martin was far from memorable. The two-time world champion often showed signs of frustration, highlighting how the year failed to live up to the promise of 2023. Aston Martin’s car experienced a notable decline compared to the previous season, during which Alonso secured eight podium finishes. At the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Spaniard managed to reach Q3, calling it “the best qualifying of the year.” Despite the AMR24 falling short of the top cars, Alonso had no trouble outperforming teammate Lance Stroll in 22 of 29 races, contributing 70 of the team’s 94 points, which placed Aston Martin fifth in the Constructors’ Championship.
The significance of Alonso’s contribution was underscored by Tom McCullough, the team’s Performance Director, who called the Spanish driver “indispensable.” Alonso’s skill in overtaking faster cars was hailed as a standout individual achievement of the season. Team principal Mike Krack noted Alonso’s exceptional performance on street circuits, where driver ability can overshadow car limitations.
However, 2024 presented significant challenges. While Alonso consistently exceeded expectations in qualifying, races often exposed the car’s technical shortcomings. As Krack pointed out, Aston Martin struggled to deliver meaningful upgrades and faced persistent tire management issues during races.
Despite these difficulties, Alonso turned a mediocre season into yet another testament to his immense talent. With 16 appearances in Q3, he managed to overcome the car’s deficiencies, even excelling in qualifying—a discipline where he has traditionally lagged behind other elite drivers.
Fernando Alonso sees Adrian Newey as a final shot at a championship
The 2024 season served as a transitional year for Aston Martin, with eyes on the future while navigating the immediate challenges of the current championship. Krack emphasized the importance of maintaining competitiveness in 2025, rather than focusing solely on the sweeping regulation changes set for 2026. The Silverstone-based team aims to address its recent shortcomings with the support of new infrastructure, including a state-of-the-art factory and a wind tunnel expected to boost development.
Central to this vision is Adrian Newey, the most successful designer in Formula 1 history, who will join Aston Martin in March 2025. Alonso, who has long dreamed of collaborating with the British engineering mastermind, described this opportunity as a “long-overdue reward” from fate. Although Newey’s first fully designed car will debut in 2026, Alonso expressed enthusiasm about learning from such a brilliant mind and sees this partnership as a valuable chapter in his career.
“Fate seemed to deny me this chance throughout my career, but now, at its twilight, it has finally come,” said Alonso. “I’ll savor every moment, striving to learn from him. We’ve always had mutual respect, exchanging messages and occasionally talking. Even without working together before, we’ve often found ourselves aligned. I can’t wait to begin this collaboration, which represents a significant leap forward for Aston Martin.”
The team draws inspiration from McLaren’s 2023 resurgence, which saw targeted improvements transform a lackluster car into a race-winning contender. Alonso, ever pragmatic, acknowledged that such transformations require time and dedication. Nevertheless, he remains optimistic that Aston Martin can climb the grid by following Woking’s example.
For now, the focus is firmly on 2025. Mike Krack predicts a fiercely competitive championship, with ever-narrowing gaps between teams. With the arrival of Enrico Cardile from Ferrari as the new Technical Director, Aston Martin aims to solidify its position at the front of the pack, ready to seize every opportunity to enhance performance and challenge the leading teams.
Leave a Reply