Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner believes that Aston Martin will need an absolute "miracle" for its impending upgrades to move it towards the front of the grid.
Steiner suggested that merely catching Williams is the Silverstone outfit's most realistic scenario.
During an appearance on The Red Flags Podcast ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, the Italian offered a brutally honest and uncompromising assessment of Aston Martin's performance woes.
With the Lawrence Stroll-owned team preparing to introduce a highly anticipated upgrade package at the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix, Steiner downplayed the potential impact of the new parts. When asked how successful the updates could be and how high the ceiling is for the team, Steiner did not mince his words.
"I think the best they can do is catch up to Williams, but it's a big step. That's half a step to the frontrunners. I think anything above that would almost be a miracle."
He added: "If you think they're about two and a half seconds behind the leaders, to make up two and a half seconds in how many months? They had four months to design and to make these parts. If they can do that, then the next upgrade, they will be world champions."
Expectations were high for Aston Martin heading into the 2026 season, with its new power unit partnership with Honda and its first car designed under Adrian Newey. However, those expectations did not match the reality of the situation at the British team.
After the first nine rounds of the season, Aston Martin sits 10th in the constructors' championship with just one point, only ahead of Cadillac in 11th with zero points.
Two-time champion Fernando Alonso earned Aston Martin's sole point with a 10th-place finish at the Monaco Grand Prix, but he has also suffered from four grand prix retirements so far. His team-mate Lance Stroll has had five grand prix retirements and was not classified at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
