Alonso reveals personal Newey persuasion attempt

Fernando Alonso has revealed he "texted" Adrian Newey and met with the former Red Bull chief technical officer in Monaco before the 65-year-old's move to Aston Martin. 

Newey was announced as Aston Martin's new managing technical partner and shareholder before the recent Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The Silverstone-based outfit won the race to Newey's signature ahead of a number of its F1 rivals, notably Ferrari.

During the period when Newey was weighing up his options, two-time F1 champion Alonso made sure his voice was heard in trying to lure the renowned designer to Aston Martin. 

When asked how involved he was in Newey joining the team, Alonso told select media including RacingNews365: "Well, it’s a question for him [Newey]. I texted him, for sure, like everybody probably did who wanted to work with him. 

"I also saw him at the Monaco Historic Grand Prix [in May] that he was racing in that week as well, and we spent half an hour chatting. I don't know, we all tried to persuade him. 

"Ultimately, I think Lawrence [Stroll], his vision, the new factory and what Aston Martin wants for the future, together with Honda, were probably key factors."

Aston Martin 'team of the future'

The signing of Newey is the latest major investment by team owner Stroll as many other senior figures have also been recruited over the past two years.

With its state-of-the-art factory and a new wind tunnel due to go online later this year, Aston Martin's infrastructure will be the most advanced in F1. 

With the signing now of Newey, Alonso views Aston Martin's future very highly.

"He's [Newey] a great addition to the team," added Alonso. "And probably, for me, what I think is that the Aston Martin team is the team of the future, in a way. 

"We are opening new buildings at the factory, the campus, the wind tunnel will be in January. 

"Honda, Aramco, the best partners in the world, probably, and now Adrian as well. I think the team is taking shape and Lawrence’s vision is taking shape."