Guenther Steiner Praises Aston Martin's Hungary Turnaround: 'You Can't Critique'

Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has offered rare public praise for Aston Martin, insisting the Silverstone squad cannot be critiqued after delivering a genuine step forward in Hungary. After spending the opening ten rounds of the 2026 season stuck at the bottom of the order, the team finally rolled out its first major upgrade package at the Hungaroring, effectively fielding a new car.

Why it matters:

Aston Martin's season had become a story of mounting pressure and unfulfilled promises, making this turnaround critical for morale and credibility. Steiner's endorsement carries weight because it recognizes the difficulty of extracting a team from a deep competitive hole while midfield rivals continued to struggle with their own updates.

The details:

• The British outfit found significant performance in Budapest, lifting Lance Stroll to 13th and Fernando Alonso to 14th after the Spaniard advanced to Q2.
• On the Red Flags podcast, Steiner highlighted that Aston Martin built a "completely new car in a very short period of time" and gained roughly two seconds in pace.
• The leap was enough to move the team clear of the rearward battle, overtaking Williams, Haas, and Cadillac in raw competitiveness.
• Steiner contrasted Aston Martin's success with other teams whose upgrades failed to deliver, underscoring how rare a genuine midfield breakthrough has become.

What's next:

The squad will head into the summer break hoping the momentum continues at Zandvoort, where Honda is expected to deliver its first engine upgrade of the season. If those power unit gains complement the chassis improvements, Aston Martin could solidify its place in the midfield rather than settling for the back of the grid.