David Coulthard thinks that F1 could have better prevented the problems under the new technical regulations starting in 2026. According to the former driver, many drivers and engineers already warned about the negative impact the 2026 rules would have on racing. Yet they were not listened to. The Scot then draws a striking comparison: ‘The new rules were like the halftime show of the World Cup final; they came at us like a kind of steamroller’.
Even before the new technical regulations came into effect at the beginning of 2026, both drivers and engineers – including Max Verstappen – warned about the problems these rules would bring for racing. Among other things, ‘superclipping’ and ‘yo-yo racing’ were predicted even before a meter had been driven.
Halftime show of the World Cup final
“The new rules were a bit like the halftime show during the World Cup final,” said David Coulthard in the Up to Speed podcast. Like the F1 regulations for 2026, this show received a lot of criticism but went ahead anyway. “It was a bit of a disappointment, as it came at us like a steamroller. You know, there’s a comedic scene in a movie where the steamroller is coming and the person says: ‘Oh, I’m getting run over.’ And then, in the next scene, he looks at his watch and still says: ‘Oh, I’m getting run over.’”
“So when the new rules came at us, drivers and engineers said: ‘This is not going to work.’ From the rest of Formula 1, there was virtually no sound,” said the former F1 driver. According to Coulthard, however, the entire top class could no longer ignore the problems during the Australian GP. “We all arrived in Melbourne and said: ‘Ah, the cars slow down when they approach certain corners.’”
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Upward trend since Miami
According to Coulthard, there has been an upward trend since the Miami GP. “Regarding the comeback after that disappointment (in Melbourne, ed.): I have to say it has gone well since Miami. The fact that we have had five different winners in the last five Grands Prix proves that it has been a varied season.”
Still, many problems at the start of the season could have been avoided, Coulthard thinks. “But I feel like we saw this coming. But no one really listened to the predicted problems,” he continues. “And the fact that they had to react to reality in a sport that simulates the future so intensely was a bit disappointing.”
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