Adrian Newey inspects Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari SF-26 at Australian Grand Prix
Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey was seen examining Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari SF-26 on the grid ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, can report.
The new Formula 1 season kicked off in Melbourne with a dominant performance from Mercedes, as George Russell and Kimi Antonelli secured a one-two finish. Hamilton’s Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc claimed third place, 15.5 seconds behind Russell, while the seven-time world champion himself finished fourth—matching his best result since joining Ferrari at the start of 2025.
The results reinforced pre-season predictions that Ferrari is Mercedes’ closest challenger at this stage of the F1 2026 season. The championship continues with the second round in China this weekend.
Newey’s Aston Martin team had a difficult opener at Albert Park, with both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll failing to finish. This came just days after Newey, recently installed as team principal, warned that Aston Martin drivers faced potential “permanent nerve damage” due to severe vibrations from the team’s new Honda power unit.
Known for closely studying rival cars on the grid, Newey was also spotted inspecting Nico Hulkenberg’s Audi R26 ahead of the race. His attention to Hamilton’s SF-26 is part of his meticulous approach to understanding competitors and refining Aston Martin’s own performance.
Hamilton’s Ferrari SF-26 also drew the attention of 67-year-old Adrian Newey as the race start approached. The car had stood out during pre-season testing in Bahrain as one of the most technically intriguing machines on the grid.
Ferrari unveiled an exhaust-mounted flap during the second test in Sakhir, followed just 24 hours later by a highly innovative “rotating” active aero rear wing.
According to tech editor Matt Somerfield, the flip-style rear wing—unused at the Australian Grand Prix—was reportedly considered by rival teams ahead of the 2026 season. However, concerns over potential drawbacks appear to have led competitors to overlook it.
These concerns include a brief sail-like effect during the opening and closing phases of the wing, as well as slower operation compared with a conventional DRS-style rear wing.
It remains to be seen whether Ferrari will deploy the rotating rear wing later in the F1 2026 campaign, but its innovation has already caught the eyes of technical directors across the paddock—including Newey.