Coulthard tips Aston Martin to win races by 2028 after Hungarian GP upgrades
Source: Race Pictures
20:01, 03 Aug
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Henry Eccles is a freelance Formula 1 journalist for GPblog, covering breaking news, live race blogs, and features across the F1 calendar. Since joining in 2026, he has produced high-volume reporting on the sport’s biggest stories, alongside feature pieces including analysis and historical content.
Former F1 driver David Coulthard believes Aston Martin will be the sport's most improved team in the next two years, even going as far to back the Adrian Newey-led squad for race victories by 2028. The bold predictions comes after a nightmare start to 2026, but with major upgrades underway after the Hungarian GP.
With Fernando Alonso's somewhat fortunate P10 finish at the Monaco GP the only points score for Aston in 2026, the British team have suffered reliability and performance-related woes ever since arriving to the season opener in Australia with extreme power unit vibrations.
Their first major upgrade package in Budapest, however, a result of a decision against smaller, incremental updates throughout the campaign, have seemingly leapfrogged the team above Cadillac and Williams, with further power unit upgrades coming upon F1's return at Zandvoort in late August.
Coulthard predicts Aston Martin will win races by 2028
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Photo: Race Pictures
With Lance Stroll and Alonso finishing P13 and P14, respectively, at the Hungaroring, it appears former Red Bull man Coulthard has seen enough to suggest Aston Martin can make bigger leaps, and ultimately start winning races in 2028.
Speaking on the Up to Speed podcast, Coulthard suggested Aston Martin will already want to "erase" the 2026 season, adding that Alonso's points finish at the Monaco GP was certainly aided by the sheer number of penalties dished out in Monte Carlo.
He 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 than there were drivers.
“Aston... really, really bad, we have to say it. Really, really bad. The summary was about a second coming from the engine, a couple of seconds coming from the car."
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However, the Scotsman could not stop himself from making a bold prediction regarding Aston - led by legendary designer Adrian Newey, powered by Honda, and working out of a £200 million Silverstone facility.
“But mark my words, they will be the biggest improving team over the next two years. I will predict they will win grands prix in the next two years," Coulthard concluded.
Newey backs 'more mature' Aston Martin to seize F1 2027 opportunity
Photo: Race Pictures
It also appears Newey himself is more optimistic over Aston's future hopes, claiming the team are in "a much better place" to capitalise on the 2027 F1 regulation changes than they were in the build up to what has been a torrid 2026 season so far.
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Speaking in a recent interview on Aston Martin's website, Newey said: "Because we've effectively been forced to grow up quickly as a team over the last 12 months, we're in a much better place to capitalise on the regulation changes than we would have been a year ago.
"We're a much more mature organisation now, and that leaves me very optimistic about what's to come."
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