Newey's 'sexy' car design continues to turn heads in the F1 paddock

After serving his gardening leave period at Red Bull Racing, the master designer joined the Silverstone-based team. His first big project is the 2026 car with new regulations.

The team arrived at the first winter test of 2026 on Thursday, and also did further laps on Friday with Fernando Alonso.

Speaking to a select group of media, including GPblog, Russell explained that Newey's work looks to be the most visually impressive after Barcelona.

He explained: "The Aston Martin was probably the most standout in terms of the car's design. I think everybody was looking at that rear suspension and it obviously visually looks very impressive."

However, the Briton also underlined that the most important thing is quickness over visual appeal.

He added: "It's not a competition of how sexy it is. It's a competition of how fast it goes around the track. So people always look towards the fastest car and we'll find that out in Melbourne.

After the first pre-season test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the season continues in Bahrain next week, where the first open test will be held. The three-day event will run from 11 to 13 February at the Bahrain International Circuit.