Adrian Newey Congratulates Alonso in Untelevised Radio Exchange at Dutch GP

Untelevised team radio from the Dutch Grand Prix has revealed the moment Adrian Newey congratulated Fernando Alonso on "a great drive" after the Aston Martin driver took a hard-fought ninth place at Zandvoort.

Why it matters:

Alonso's P9 marked Aston Martin's second points finish of the F1 2026 season and his first since Monaco on June 7. The result also came as Honda's upgraded power unit made its race debut, following a major AMR26 upgrade package in Hungary. Newey's personal message reflects the team's growing belief in its upward trajectory.

The Details:

• The exchange began with Alonso's engineer saying, "Lovely, lovely job mate. P9. Well done." Alonso replied, "Good points, well deserved and a very good car to drive."
• Newey then came on the radio: "Well done, Fernando. That was a great drive." Alonso responded, "Thanks to you guys, everyone in Silverstone. Amazing. And more to come, I know."
• Radio issues: Alonso later revealed he couldn't hear the team and they couldn't hear him during the race, joking, "which is good news sometimes I guess!"
• He said strategy was unaffected, but blue flags and defensive overtakes were frustrating.
• The Honda power unit's strong debut comes after Aston Martin's aggressive upgrade push, with more developments on the horizon.

What's next:

Alonso's "more to come" comment hints at further gains. With Newey now fully embedded as team principal, Aston Martin appears to be building serious momentum for the rest of 2026.