David Coulthard predicts Aston Martin will make Formula 1’s biggest improvement over the next two seasons and win Grands Prix before the end of 2028.
The Silverstone-based team entered 2026 with Adrian Newey, a new Honda works engine partnership, a state-of-the-art wind tunnel and the continued financial backing of Lawrence Stroll. Instead, Aston Martin have spent much of the campaign fighting pitiful Cadillac at the rear of the field, scoring just one point during the opening ten rounds.
Speaking on the Up To Speed YouTube channel, Coulthard admitted the scale of their failure was impossible to disguise, he said: “Look, it’s very difficult to argue against that. I think even Aston themselves would go, you know, ‘We want this season to be erased from the record books!’”
Fernando Alonso secured that solitary point in Monaco, although Coulthard highlighted the unusual circumstances surrounding a race dominated by penalties and pit-lane controversy.
He explained: “That one point came courtesy of Fernando Alonso, of course, in Monaco, in a race where there was more penalties, I think, than there were drivers. So that was a bit of a shocker there, wasn’t it? The FIA not quite getting the length of the pit lane correct.”
Hungary updates package showed promise
“You know, something nobody really worked out, or we’re basing this on cars driving down this length, and what do drivers do? They take the shortest route possible,” ventured Coulthard, who believes that recovery will accelerate once Newey’s technical influence, Honda’s power unit and Aston Martin’s new infrastructure begin working together effectively.
He acknowledged: “Aston Martin… really, really bad. We have to say really, really bad. When you consider, I think, the summary was about a second coming from the engine, a couple of seconds coming from the car.
“Mark my words, they will be the biggest improving team over the next two years, and I will predict they will win Grands Prix in the next two years,” declared the 13-time Grand Prix winner.
Aston Martin finally showed signs of progress at the Hungarian Grand Prix after introducing 16 developments to the heavily revised AMR26B. Alonso reached Q2 for the first time this season before finishing 13th, directly ahead of teammate Lance Stroll.
Newey said the immediate objective was restoring “respectability”, with early data suggesting Aston Martin had recovered between 1.5 and two seconds compared with its weakest performances. Keeping the momentum will be key. Watch this space!
(Source: Up To Speed. Available to watch and listen to now on YouTube,
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