Despite a very difficult first half of the season, David Coulthard is convinced that Aston Martin will quickly return to the front… even to winning Grands Prix.
Read more Max Verstappen receives clear advice on his future in Formula 1
The start of the 2026 era has fallen far short of Aston Martin’s expectations. Struggling with an uncompetitive car and a Honda engine still lagging behind, the British team has been at the bottom of the standings since the start of the season. However, David Coulthard is convinced that this period will be just a bad memory.
The former Formula 1 driver even believes that Aston Martin could become a team capable of winning Grands Prix in the very near future.
A first half of the season to forget
The introduction of the new technical regulations did not favor Aston Martin. From the first races, the car designed for 2026 proved to be far from the expected level, leaving Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll fighting at the back of the pack.
The chassis difficulties were compounded by those encountered by Honda, whose new power unit has not yet reached the expected performance level.
The Silverstone-based team did introduce a significant technical upgrade at the Hungarian Grand Prix, allowing a clear performance improvement, but it was not enough to truly get Aston Martin out of the midfield battle.
A new Honda engine upgrade is also expected as early as the Dutch Grand Prix, after the summer break.
Coulthard sees a much brighter future
Despite this difficult context, David Coulthard refuses to draw hasty conclusions. According to him, Aston Martin has all the ingredients to become one of the reference teams in the coming seasons.
“I think Aston Martin itself would like to erase this season from the history books.”
The Scot recalls that the few satisfactions for the team came from Fernando Alonso, notably scoring a point in Monaco in a particularly eventful race.
“Let’s be honest, Aston Martin has been really, really bad. Very bad. To sum up, they were about a second down because of the engine and a few more seconds because of the car.”
Read more George Russell would have only a 5% chance of being crowned world champion
A harsh assessment… which does not prevent him from being extremely optimistic about the future.
“But mark my words: it will be the team that progresses the most over the next two years. I even predict that it will win Grands Prix by then.”
Adrian Newey, the main reason for hope
For David Coulthard, this optimism largely rests on the presence of Adrian Newey. The famous British engineer, now heading Aston Martin’s technical project, represents, according to him, a guarantee of medium-term success.
Throughout his career, Newey has designed some of the most dominant cars in modern Formula 1 history, whether at Williams, McLaren, or Red Bull.
Having worked with him in the past, Coulthard knows his methods and personality perfectly.
“He is above all a competitor. He is not someone who does corporate communication. With Adrian, what you see is exactly what you get.”
The former driver also believes that few technical directors would have retained their credibility after such a difficult project start.
“If it had been another team, another designer, or another technical director, he would probably have already been questioned. But because it’s Adrian, we know he will eventually find the right solutions.”
A long-term project
Between the upgrades to the car, the expected improvements from the Honda engine, and Adrian Newey’s growing influence, Aston Martin hopes to gradually close the gap with the leading teams.
Even if this season’s results remain very disappointing, David Coulthard is convinced that the foundations currently being laid will eventually bear fruit. According to him, the British team could well become one of the big winners of the coming seasons and find the path to victory within two years.
Read more Lewis Hamilton debunks a widespread theory about his revival at Ferrari