Nigella Lawson Kitchen

Aston Martin will build a road-legal sports car based on a commission by its Formula One driver Fernando Alonso, the manufacturer has said.

Two-time world champion Alonso has helped oversee the design of the Valiant, his own version of the Aston Martin Valour which came out last year.

Alonso signed a new deal with Aston Martin's F1 team until 2026 on April 11 and described the new contract as part of a "lifetime project" with the company.

Aston will produce 38 Valiants, which will be front-engined and fitted with a 745PS 5.2 litre twin-turbo V12 power unit.

"Valour was a spectacular celebration of Aston Martin's 110th anniversary, and stirred me to create a more extreme, race car inspired version that was track focussed, while also delivering a thrilling drive on-road," Alonso said in a statement.

"Valiant is born from my passion for driving at the limit and I have enjoyed working closely with the Q by Aston Martin team on both the design and technical specification and believe we have created a masterpiece."

The Q division of Aston Martin allows potential owners to individually style their cars.

Aston Martin has worked alongside F1 names before. Alongside Red Bull and design legend Adrian Newey the company designed the Valykrie hypercar, which it will use to compete at the Le Mans 24 Hours from 2025 onwards.

Newey has been linked to Aston Martin's F1 project recently and it is believed the freedom to work on the manufacturer's sports cars has been a big part of the offer made to him.