Aston Martin picked to 'shock everybody' despite early-season Honda woes

The Silverstone-based team had a difficult start to the season with the new Honda power unit.

It took the team three races to finish one, with Fernando Alonso crossing the line in 18th place.

Montoya remains positive about Aston Martin still surprising many this season despite the team’s initial problems.

Speaking to a gambling site, he said: "I still believe they're going to shock everybody once they figure all the issues. I do think they will have a pretty competitive car once all the s*** clears up. It's going to take them longer, but I think Aston will surprise us and I think they will surprise this year.

The Colombian added: "I think Aston believed that they were going to get what Red Bull had on power when Honda moved over. I’ve worked with Adrian, I know how smart he is, how good he is. It just takes time."

Montoya also gave a rough timeline. "I think by the time we come back from the summer break, they're going to start looking better. And if they can start finding their way, I'd be optimistic for them long term because I think they're going to turn things around."

Meanwhile, Lance Stroll will already drive a different Aston Martin in a different series after the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix.

The Canadian driver will compete in the GT World Challenge Europe series at the Circuit Paul Ricard. He will go head-to-head with Max Verstappen's GT team as well.