Adrian Newey holds Audi R26 inspection at Australian Grand Prix

Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey was spotted by PlanetF1.com examining Nico Hulkenberg’s Audi ahead of Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix.

Aston Martin endured a difficult start to the F1 2026 season in Melbourne, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll both failing to make the chequered flag.

Adrian Newey spotted examining Audi R26 on Australian GP grid

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The team’s challenging weekend came after Newey revealed that the drivers had aired fears of “permanent nerve damage” due to concerns over vibrations from the new Honda power unit.

The Australian Grand Prix also saw Audi make its long-awaited F1 debut following its takeover of the previous Sauber team.

The newcomer had a mixed weekend at Albert Park, with Hulkenberg failing to start the race due to a pre-race mechanical issue.

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Meanwhile, Hulkenberg’s teammate Gabriel Bortoleto was prevented from taking part in Q3 after suffering a reliability problem during qualifying.

However, the Brazilian driver recovered to claim ninth place in Sunday’s race, claiming Audi’s first-ever F1 points in the process.

Newey, the legendary F1 designer, is renowned for studying the designs of rival cars on the grid ahead of the start of each race.

And the Aston Martin boss was spotted by PlanetF1.com editor Mat Coch examining Hulkenberg’s Audi R26 shortly before the Australian Grand Prix (below).

Mattia Binotto, the Audi F1 boss, was also an interested onlooker after a terminal issue was spotted with Hulkenberg’s car.

Audi F1 caught the eye at pre-season testing in Bahrain last month as the team introduced a B-spec chassis featuring a highly innovative sidepod design.

In his in-depth analysis of the sidepod change, PlanetF1.com tech editor Matt Somerfield wrote that Audi’s new look served to “signal its intent” ahead of the team’s debut season.

Newey’s first inspection of the F1 2026 grid comes after the title-winning McLaren MCL39, driven by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, caught his eye at a number of races last year.

As reported by PlanetF1.com, Newey was spotted taking a close look at the McLaren during his first trackside appearance with Aston Martin in Monaco last May.

The MCL39 also caught his attention at the British Grand Prix a few weeks later, with Newey taking a third look at the McLaren at the penultimate round in Qatar.

The Qatar race also saw Newey examine the Red Bull RB21 driven by Max Verstappen.

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