– Despite a disappointing start to the 2026 Formula 1 season, David Coulthard still believes in the long-term potential of Aston Martin. The former Grand Prix winner is convinced that the Silverstone-based team will achieve the biggest performance improvement in the Formula 1 field over the next two years and will even win races again.
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Before the start of the new era of regulations, expectations for Aston Martin were high. With star designer Adrian Newey, world champion Fernando Alonso, the new Honda factory partnership, a modern wind tunnel, and financial support from team owner Lawrence Stroll, the team was considered a possible challenger at the top.
However, reality has been much more sobering so far. At the summer break, Aston Martin is in tenth and second-to-last place in the constructors’ standings with only one championship point. Fernando Alonso scored the only point so far at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Coulthard sees great long-term potential
In the podcast Up To Speed, Coulthard nevertheless expressed confidence that the tide will turn. Although the Scot admitted that Aston Martin is currently still far behind the competition, he expects a significant upward trend in the long term.
“Mark my words, Jolie. As true as it is that we are not in the same room: They will be the team with the biggest improvement in the next two years,” says Coulthard. “And I predict that they will win Grands Prix in the next two years.”
With this, the former Formula 1 driver clearly supports the team’s long-term project, whose extensive investments, in his view, will only pay off with some delay.
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First progress visible after Hungary
At the Hungarian Grand Prix, Aston Martin brought a comprehensive upgrade package. Although both Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso again missed the points, the team was satisfied with the first impressions. Stroll finished 13th, Alonso took 14th place.
The Canadian spoke of a significant step forward after the race: “Yes, really good. We made a huge step this weekend. We are not yet at the top of the midfield, but we are now mixing it up.”
At the same time, Stroll made it clear that the road back to the top is still long: “We know that we still have to find a lot of performance. More downforce, more power. We just have to keep working hard.”
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Whether the recent updates are actually the beginning of the trend reversal predicted by Coulthard is likely to become clear in the coming months. What is certain, however, is that Aston Martin continues to rely on the long-term development of its project despite the disappointing season so far.
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