Former Components 1 driver David Coulthard has argued that Aston Martin has reached “all-time low” and is now starting its gradual restoration.
Talking on the Up To Velocity podcast forward of the Italian Grand Prix, the 13-time grand prix winner drew comparisons to McLaren’s earlier hunch earlier than the Woking outfit bounced again to assert back-to-back constructors’ titles in 2024 and 2025.
Aston Martin has endured a tough 2026 marketing campaign. The Silverstone outfit presently sits tenth within the constructors’ standings with three factors, all earned by two-time champion Fernando Alonso. It arrived in 2026 with excessive expectations because of its new energy unit partnership with Honda and its first automobile designed beneath the management of Adrian Newey.Â
However the first half of the season was stricken by main automobile and energy unit points till it launched a B-spec automobile on the Hungarian Grand Prix and engine upgrades on the Dutch Grand Prix.
Regardless of the difficult begin to the yr, Coulthard is assured the Newey-led crew will flip the nook.
“There’s a momentum change. They’ve hit all-time low,” Coulthard defined. “If we remind ourselves of McLaren, what was it three seasons in the past? They had been just about at their all-time low, after which they’ve bounced again to being world champions.”
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
Photograph by: Eric Le Galliot
Former W Collection driver and Sky Sports activities analyst Naomi Schiff, who co-hosts the Up To Velocity podcast, added: “It is a technique of evolution in the meanwhile for them, is not it? It is all about studying. Zandvoort, the start of the weekend was wanting a little bit like, ‘Oh, I assume we anticipated a little bit bit extra from this,’ nevertheless it was a dash weekend, so it is a powerful one to carry huge upgrades and attempt to make adjustments and perceive your package deal.
“They did make steps ahead, and there have been nonetheless some issues. Clearly, the drivers each mentioned that they had been combating the downshifts and the driveability of the engine. And so, I am certain they’d have taken all that information dwelling and made some amendments that we’ll in all probability see in Monza.
“However Fernando did an unbelievable job to place that automobile in P9 [at the Dutch Grand Prix]. There have been six DNFs, however whenever you take a look at the listing of who did not end, clearly Max [Verstappen] is in there, who would have in all probability been forward of him, however the remainder of them, you can debate whether or not they would have been there and thereabouts the place he was.
“So you have to give them some benefit for that. I hope for them that it will proceed transferring ahead as a result of it has been a little bit of a bleak begin.”
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– The Motorsport.com Staff