Fernando Alonso stunned by immediate impact of 'teacher' Adrian Newey

Fernando Alonso has revealed how he believes new Aston Martin chief Adrian Newey is "always teaching us something" after the AMR26 broke cover.

Newey's first Aston Martin-designed machine was unveiled in Barcelona on Thursday, with the extreme concept immediately catching eyes, with Alonso driving a Newey car for the first time on Friday. 

The two-time world champion has never previously worked with Newey, who has designed championship-winning cars for Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull, and is regarded as the greatest F1 designer of all time.

Newey has taken on the team principal role for the first time in his career in 2026 as he juggles with his managing technical partner duties, as Alonso detailed how 'Teacher Newey' was already impacting the class of 2026.

"Everyone is super motivated when we see him in the garage, taking care of all the details," Alonso explained.

"I see all the mechanics, the faces of everyone looking at him, trying to spot something that maybe he can comment on the car or wants to improve. 

"I think he's always teaching us something.

"It was very special with Lance and me in the car, it was special and the first car made by Adrian, together with Honda and Aramco. 

"The last few weeks have been very, very intense in the factory, trying to have the car ready, and we made it to Barcelona for the last two days. 

"It's been a tremendous effort from everyone."