Newey made his third paddock visit of the F1 2026 season at the British Grand Prix following his previous appearances in Australia and Monaco.<\/p>\n
The 67-year-old, the most successful designer in the sport\u2019s history with involvement in more than 200 grand prix victories, is renowned for studying the designs of rival teams on the starting grid ahead of a race.<\/p>\n
Newey linked up with Aston Martin in March 2025 after almost 20 years with Red Bull, where he played an instrumental role in the team\u2019s dominant spells with Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.<\/p>\n
Analysis: British Grand Prix<\/p>\n
British GP conclusions: Leclerc\u2019s Hamilton answer, no Russell fear, in defence of FIA<\/a><\/p>\n British GP 2026 driver ratings: Hamilton penalty, Verstappen crash, Leclerc\u2019s luck<\/a><\/p>\n And the Aston Martin boss was spotted keeping a close eye on his old team on the grid at Silverstone last Sunday.<\/p>\n Images from race day show Newey paying close attention to the Red Bull RB22 of Hadjar as it was wheeled into position on the grid by a group of mechanics (below).<\/p>\n Newey\u2019s study of Hadjar\u2019s car comes after PlanetF1.com\u2019s on-the-ground reporter Thomas Maher also spotted the Aston Martin team principal inspecting Leclerc\u2019s car on the grid (below).<\/p>\n Image: Thomas Maher, PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n Image: Thomas Maher, PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n Leclerc went on to win the British Grand Prix, claiming his first victory since the 2024 United States Grand Prix.<\/p>\n Newey\u2019s Aston Martin team endured a challenging weekend at Silverstone, with Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso qualifying on the last row of the grid for the fourth weekend running.<\/p>\n As reported by PlanetF1.com on Monday<\/a>, Stroll was hit with a trio of five-second penalties after three track limits infringements in the space of nine laps.<\/p>\n Under F1\u2019s rules, drivers are allowed three track limits \u2018strikes\u2019 before being handed a five-second penalty for every strike thereafter.<\/p>\n Stroll ended the British Grand Prix with a total of six track limits breaches to his name.<\/p>\n Aston Martin is set to introduce a major upgrade package at the Hungarian Grand Prix later this month as it seeks to recover from a disappointing start to the season.<\/p>\n Newey confirmed last week that the upgrade will focus on reducing the weight of the AMR26 with a lighter chassis and gearbox architecture on the way.<\/p>\n Changes to the rear suspension, nose and the car\u2019s aerodynamic surfaces will also be included in the update, with Newey commenting that he expects the upgrade to bring a \u201clarge step\u201d in performance.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/adrian-newey-aston-martin-isack-hadjar-red-bull-rb22-f1-2026-british-grand-prix-silverstone.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/adrian-newey-aston-martin-isack-hadjar-red-bull-rb22-f1-2026-british-grand-prix.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/adrian-newey-aston-martin-charles-leclerc-ferrari-sf-26-f1-2026-british-grand-prix.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/adrian-newey-aston-martin-charles-leclerc-ferrari-sf-26-f1-2026-british-grand-prix-silverstone.jpg\")
<\/p>\n