The Athlete’s Studio: Fernando Alonso’s Drive For Aston Martin and Glenfiddich’s Shared Vision

Few names in Formula 1 command the same reverence as Fernando Alonso. The two-time World Champion has spent over two decades carving out a legacy defined by razor-sharp racecraft, relentless determination, and a unique ability to evolve with the sport. Now, at 43, Alonso finds himself at the heart of Aston Martin’s ambitious return to the front of the grid, and at the centre of a wider conversation about how Formula 1 intersects with culture, lifestyle, and the art of pushing limits.

It’s this blend of elite performance and cultural influence that makes Alonso the perfect guest for New Wave’s ‘The Athlete’s Studio Series’, where we explore the mindset and stories of modern sports icons. 

Alonso burst onto the Formula 1 scene in the early 2000s, becoming the then-youngest World Champion in 2005 and repeating the feat in 2006. Over the years, he’s driven for the most storied teams before returning from a brief hiatus to spearhead Aston Martin’s resurgence.

For Alonso, racing is about relentless technical curiosity, understanding every detail of a machine that costs upwards of £12–15 million per car, designed and rebuilt race by race. Each car is a testament to the quiet creativity of engineers and aerodynamicists who turn raw carbon fibre, advanced materials, and thousands of data points into something capable of slicing through corners at 200 mph. In recent years, Formula 1’s cultural footprint has exploded, propelled by series like Drive to Survive and a wave of creative collaborations across fashion, music, and luxury. As Alonso shared with us, this renewed spotlight has made drivers a cultural touchpoint and global ambassadors for innovation, sustainability, and style.

It’s here that whisky brand Glenfiddich have found a natural home in the paddock. For Aston Martin, Glenfiddich represents a shared commitment to craft, heritage, and pushing boundaries. The relationship between Glenfiddich and Aston Martin is rooted in a mutual respect for mastery. Their partnership began with a shared mission to pair the world’s most awarded single malt Scotch whisky with the heritage and modern ambition of a team redefining itself on the world’s fastest stage.

Together, Glenfiddich and Aston Martin craft unique experiences that live beyond the racetrack, from limited-edition whisky releases inspired by iconic Aston Martin models to exclusive events that fuse luxury, taste, and motorsport innovation. For Alonso, this lifestyle aspect is part of the performance ecosystem that keeps drivers and teams operating at their peak.

In our sit-down, Alonso spoke about the intense demands of his unparalleled F1 calendar, from back-to-back races to countless hours spent with engineers and how partners like Glenfiddich help bring moments of connection, relaxation, and celebration to a world that rarely slows down.

Alonso’s ambition burns as bright as ever. With Glenfiddich by his team’s  side, the story is as much about lifestyle and legacy as it is about lap times. Together, they remind us that performance is measured by the stopwatch and its attitude to culture, and craft.

First, you’ve had an extensive career in F1. You've raced the most Grands Prix and achieved so much success in the sport. Looking back, what are some of the moments that stand out most to you? And how have they shaped you as a driver and as a person?

Yeah, for sure. It’s difficult to pick just a few moments because in motorsport, life is full of experiences, you meet so many talented people: amazing designers, brilliant engineers who create the fastest cars in the world.

Over more than 20 years, I’ve been lucky enough to work with some of the best technology, and that shapes you not only as a driver but also off the track, as a human being. Traveling around the world, discovering different cultures, meeting new people. all of that helps you grow, both professionally and personally.

Aston Martin, where do you see the brand going in the next year or so? What’s the potential, and how excited are you about the growth of the team?

Absolutely, I’m really excited. I think the team is on a high at the moment; we’re getting better and better. The fight for championships. That’s the main goal for everyone in the team, to compete for and win a World Championship.

Alongside that, we represent an incredible brand in Aston Martin road cars as well. It’s always been known for luxury, but beyond looking good, it’s about feeling good too and that’s the feeling we all share in the team.

Speaking of design and engineering, you chose Aston Martin as your team and have been driving with them for the past season. What made you decide to join Aston Martin, especially at this stage in your career?

Yeah, I mean, Aston Martin has a reputation for being one of the best teams, and when I joined, the team was in a really exciting moment, building new facilities and bringing in some of the best engineers and talent in the sport. So it was a very attractive project to be part of.

I feel really proud to be here. We now have some of the best facilities in Formula 1, amazing designers, top partners, and great sponsors. Everything is coming together, and I feel very honoured to be part of this journey.

Amazing. And in addition to some of the other partners that have been influential for the Aston Martin team. Glenfiddich, of course, stands out.

Yes, for sure. Glenfiddich is a perfect example of what Formula 1 means to us, but also to our partners and fans. We have this experience that goes beyond motor racing, it goes beyond the passion that you have for cars. It's about a way of living, doing things differently, and offering something truly special.

With Glenfiddich, we share all these things. They’re great partners, good friends and the values that Aston Martin and Glenfiddich share are exactly what we want to represent and spread to the world.

Being so successful in your craft and as a driver, after a special race or a big win, if you had a celebratory drink, what would you choose?

Yeah, it’s always an option on the table when there’s something to celebrate. Obviously, during the championship season we don’t really drink much or use it often, but on special occasions, birthdays, summer breaks, Christmas, there’s always a good moment to share something special with friends and family.

As I said, the focus on quality and the pursuit of excellence is really attractive, and Glenfiddich offers exactly that.

A lot more recently, the new F1 film came out, which you were featured in. How do you feel about that connection between F1 and the wider creative world?

Yeah, for us drivers, it’s sometimes hard to feel that connection directly. We know the sport’s in a great place right now, there’s a lot of momentum, a lot of new attention from younger generations through the Netflix series and now the movie, and it keeps growing every year, especially in the US.

But as a driver, you’re so focused on the technical side, you spend so much time with the engineers and designers that your mind doesn’t always register how the sport is reaching into other areas like music and fashion.

So yes, we’re aware of it, but our main focus day-to-day is making the car faster. 

Even so, there’s a clear creative side to what you do, you’re constantly innovating and pushing the car to be its best through new ideas and fresh angles.

Absolutely, I agree. Formula One is the pinnacle of motorsport, and the level of technology and sophistication we have under the bodywork is incredible.

There are no two races where we run exactly the same spec, there’s always an evolution from one race to the next. There’s always a new idea, something clever from someone in the team that gives us more performance. That level of innovation and constant problem-solving is amazing to witness.

We’re in the UK at the moment, after Silverstone. You’ve had some amazing experiences there, how special is it to you?

Yeah, Silverstone is always special. It’s one of the biggest weekends of the year, we get to race in front of the British crowd, who are known for being the best fans on the calendar. They know everything about Formula One.

The history of F1 was made here in Great Britain, so we really understand what it means and always want to put on a good show. The weather will play a big role, as usual at Silverstone, there’s already talk of rain on Saturday and Sunday, so we’ll keep an eye on that. Our factory is just a mile from the circuit entrance, so it really does feel like our home Grand Prix.

In basketball they have a saying: ‘Offense wins games, defense wins championships.’ In F1 terms, what’s your take on the balance between car and driver? Any quote that sums it up?

Yeah, our sport is pretty unique in that sense, we rely massively on the performance of the car. That’s the driver’s job too: not just to drive fast on Sundays, but to help make the car faster during the week. We have to give the team precise feedback on what the car needs to improve.

Unfortunately, in F1 I’d say 90% of success comes from the car and about 10% from the driver. We’d love to shift that balance a bit more in favour of the driver. There are new regulations coming in 2026, so hopefully the car’s impact will be slightly less, giving the driver’s skill more influence on the result.