Fernando Alonso insists Aston Martin will not be able to rely on Adrian Newey to put the team back on the right track in Formula 1.
It is now widely expected by insiders that the Silverstone based team will admit this week that it has successfully secured the services of the departing Red Bull technical guru.
"It’s all still just rumours," team driver Alonso declared at Monza on Sunday.
The two-time world champion had just told the throng of Spanish journalists that he was alarmed about Aston Martin’s current performance in 2024.
"We need to be patient and understand that the big target is 2026," said Alonso, 43. "As a team, we need to accept that we are not in the battle for the top four teams. They are the top teams for a reason because they are way ahead of us.
"But us being behind Williams, Haas and Alpha Tauri (RB)?" he added. "I think in that case we need to raise our level. We need to improve."
Explaining his Italian GP, Alonso said he expected to be 16th or 17th at the chequered flag - but ultimately he managed "maybe my best race of 2024" and finished P11.
"Tomorrow," Alonso said, "I will be the only one who remembers ’Alonso’s Monza 2024’. Our car eats up the tyres, we slide in the corners, we have no grip. We have hardly any strong points.
"Let’s see if there is a response, some action, and not always coming with the same car," he added.
As for those intensifying Newey rumours, Alonso warned that there are no silver bullets in Formula 1.
"I think it’s not just one person’s job to fix things," he answered, when asked about the rising prospect of the famous 65-year-old Briton wearing green from 2025.
"It’s more about what we have now, what we’re producing, understanding what’s going in the right direction, what’s going in the wrong direction, and trying to prepare for 2025 in a better way," Alonso concluded.