Adrian Newey holds Red Bull RB22 inspection at British Grand Prix

Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey was spotted examining the Red Bull RB22 of Isack Hadjar on the grid ahead of last weekend’s British Grand Prix.

It comes after PlanetF1.com reported on Monday that the race-winning Ferrari SF-26 of Charles Leclerc also caught Newey’s eye at Silverstone.

Adrian Newey examines Red Bull RB22 on British Grand Prix grid

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Newey made his third paddock visit of the F1 2026 season at the British Grand Prix following his previous appearances in Australia and Monaco.

The 67-year-old, the most successful designer in the sport’s 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.

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’s dominant spells with Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.

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And the Aston Martin boss was spotted keeping a close eye on his old team on the grid at Silverstone last Sunday.

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).

Newey’s study of Hadjar’s car comes after PlanetF1.com’s on-the-ground reporter Thomas Maher also spotted the Aston Martin team principal inspecting Leclerc’s car on the grid (below).

Leclerc went on to win the British Grand Prix, claiming his first victory since the 2024 United States Grand Prix.

Newey’s 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.

As reported by PlanetF1.com on Monday, Stroll was hit with a trio of five-second penalties after three track limits infringements in the space of nine laps.

Under F1’s rules, drivers are allowed three track limits ‘strikes’ before being handed a five-second penalty for every strike thereafter.

Stroll ended the British Grand Prix with a total of six track limits breaches to his name.

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.

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.

Changes to the rear suspension, nose and the car’s aerodynamic surfaces will also be included in the update, with Newey commenting that he expects the upgrade to bring a “large step” in performance.

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