Adrian Newey inspects Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari SF-26 at Hungarian Grand Prix

Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey was spotted inspecting Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari SF-26 on the grid ahead of last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

Newey made his fourth trackside appearance of the F1 2026 season in Budapest, where Aston Martin introduced a major upgrade package.

Adrian Newey studies Lewis Hamilton Ferrari SF-26 at Hungarian GP

Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google for news you can trust

The B-spec AMR26 car made an instant impact as Fernando Alonso, the two-time world champion, reached Q2 for the first time in 2026.

Alonso and teammate Lance Stroll went on to finish 14th and 13th respectively on race day.

Newey, the most successful individual in F1 history with involvement in more than 200 race wins and a combined 26 drivers’ and constructors’ titles, took his first management role when he was appointed Aston Martin team boss ahead of the F1 2026 campaign.

Analysis: Hungarian Grand Prix

Hungarian GP conclusions: Norris afterglow, Piastri the nearly man, Newey insult

Hungarian GP 2026 driver ratings: Norris delivers as Sainz hands Piastri nightmare blow

The legendary designer is renowned for eyeing the designs of rival teams on the starting grid ahead of each race.

And the 67-year-old was caught paying close attention to the Ferrari SF-26 of Hamilton prior to the start of the Hungarian Grand Prix last Sunday (below).

Newey was seen in conversation with Piero Ferrari, the Ferrari vice-president and the only living son of late team founder Enzo.

He also observed the Hungarian national anthem beside Hamilton’s car, with the seven-time world champion’s race engineer Carlo Santi looking on behind (below).

Newey previously studied Hamilton’s car at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in March (below).

As reported by PlanetF1.com on Monday, Newey was also spotted by PlanetF1.com examining the McLaren MCL40 of Oscar Piastri on the grid in Hungary (below).

After receiving a three-place penalty for impeding Piastri in qualifying, Hamilton went on to have a troubled race in Budapest, incurring a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane.

He was eventually classified fifth, one place behind Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc.

Newey was briefly linked with a move to Ferrari following the news of his departure from Red Bull in May 2024.

However, the veteran went on to join Aston Martin that September, initially arriving in the role of managing technical partner as well as acquiring a shareholding in the Silverstone-based team.

He was promoted to the role of team principal last November as Andy Cowell’s replacement.

As revealed by PlanetF1.com in March, Newey is set to vacate the team boss position in due course having led the search for his long-term successor since his own appointment.

Jonathan Wheatley, who previously worked with Newey at Red Bull before becoming the first Audi F1 team principal, emerged as Newey’s prime target.

Audi went on to confirm the departure of Wheatley 48 hours after the news emerged.

Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.

You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!

Read next: How Ferrari lost Hungary podium as strategy and mistakes mask promising pace