Coulthard predicts when Aston Martin will win in Formula 1

Aston Martin has had a season that it would want to erase from history, says David Coulthard. But, he predicts much brighter days coming, and soon. 

In fact, Coulthard believes that Aston Martin will improve faster than any other Formula 1 team, culminating in a grand prix win “in the next two years.” Having worked alongside Aston Martin team boss Adrian Newey throughout his own F1 career, Coulthard knows the design guru will ultimately get it right. He also admits that anyone else in this position not called Adrian Newey would probably have been gone.

Aston Martin will win in the next two years, says Coulthard

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The Aston Martin and Honda alliance suffered a torrid start. But, the Hungarian Grand Prix offered reason for optimism.

With its 16-part upgrade, the new AMR26 went from backmarker to Q2 qualifier in the hands of Fernando Alonso. Lance Stroll finished the race in 13th, Alonso 14th.

Honda will introduce its new engine for the first time competitively at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Coulthard is expecting a rapid ascension of the F1 ranks for Aston Martin.

Speaking via the Up To Speed podcast, Coulthard said: “I think even Aston themselves would go, ‘We want this season to be erased from the record books.’

“That one point came courtesy of Fernando Alonso, of course, in Monaco, in a race where there were more penalties, I think, than there were drivers.

“Aston, we have to say, really, really bad. I think the summary was about a second coming from the engine, a couple of seconds coming from the car.

“But mark my words, they will be the biggest improving team over the next two years, and I will predict they will win grand prixs in the next two years.”

Coulthard has complete faith in Newey, an ally who was present throughout Coulthard’s career. They worked together at Williams and McLaren, before Coulthard played a key role in luring Newey over to Red Bull.

Newey has contributed to a total of 26 world championship wins with his designs. He will look to add to that remarkable tally with Aston Martin.

Coulthard believes that any other leading figure would have received the boot for Aston Martin’s early F1 2026 woes. But, this is Adrian Newey, who always comes good, says Coulthard.

“I have worked with Adrian since I was 21 years old at Williams as a test driver, all the way through that period into McLaren, where he joined McLaren, and then, funnily enough, when I was at Red Bull, he joined Red Bull,” said Coulthard, a 13-time grand prix winner.

“So he’s awesome. There’s no question. He’s a racer, and what he doesn’t do is corporate PR. What you see is what you get, and that’s actually why he’s the one person that can handle that.

“If that had been any other team and any other designer or technical director or whatever official title, team principal, then he probably would have been gone.

“But, because it’s Adrian, you know he’s going to get it right.

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“And he had to learn. He had to learn the facilities. He went in there last April, so he’s been there just over a year.

“There’s a lot of good people there, born out of the Jordan Grand Prix Formula 1 team. If our late great friend Eddie Jordan was still here, he would be going, ‘Ah, I made him!'”

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