Adrian Newey holds Alpine inspection at Monaco Grand Prix after McLaren probe

PlanetF1.com captured the moment Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey examined Pierre Gasly’s Alpine A526 ahead of Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix.

It comes after Newey was also caught paying close attention to the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri on the starting grid.

Adrian Newey examines Pierre Gasly’s Alpine at Monaco Grand Prix

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Newey returned to trackside duties for the first time since the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Monte Carlo last weekend.

His paddock comeback coincided with Aston Martin’s first points finish of the F1 2026 season as Fernando Alonso came home 10th following a post-race penalty for Cadillac driver Sergio Perez.

Alonso’s result also marked the first point scored by Aston Martin since the team entered a new technical partnership with Honda ahead of this season.

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Newey, the most successful designer in F1 history, is renowned for studying the cars of rival teams on the starting grid.

As reported on Monday, PlanetF1.com’s on-the-ground reporter Thomas Maher spotted Newey examining the McLarens of Norris and Piastri on the grid ahead of the race start.

And Newey was also seen eyeing the Alpine of Gasly (below).

Gasly went on to have a dramatic Sunday in Monte Carlo, rising from ninth on the grid to third at the chequered flag.

However, the Frenchman was hit with two separate five-second penalties for exceeding the pit-lane speed limit, dropping him to seventh in the final classification.

With an unusually high number of drivers punished for speeding in the pit lane, the Alpine team submitted a right of review petition after the race.

A short statement issued by Alpine to PlanetF1.com last Sunday read: “After the result of today’s Monaco Grand Prix, BWT Alpine Formula 1 Team can confirm it has requested a Right of Review from the FIA following the penalties applied for pit lane speeding.”

After finishing bottom of the constructors’ standings in 2025, Alpine has enjoyed a much-improved start to the F1 2026 season after swapping Renault engines for Mercedes last winter.

The A526, designed by former Ferrari and McLaren technical boss David Sanchez, has scored points at every race so far this season with Gasly and teammate Franco Colapinto recording a best result of sixth in China and Canada respectively.

Alpine strengthened its technical team last month with the signing of Jason Somerville, who has been appointed to the role of deputy technical director.

Somerville, who previously worked at Enstone during the team’s Renault era two decades ago, has returned to the team after spells with Williams, Formula One Management and most recently with the FIA.

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