David Coulthard states that the current Formula 1 regulations have caused dominant drivers to stand out less than before. According to the Scot, the differences between the top drivers and the rest of the field have become smaller. “It feels like the super talents have been somewhat neutralized,” said Coulthard.
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David Coulthard is cautious in his judgment of Lewis Hamilton. He thinks that the introduction of the new rules has brought dominant drivers – super talents as Coulthard calls them – closer to the rest of the field. According to the Scot, Hamilton is a driver who changes the game. “If you look at the best drivers in the history of the sport, you hardly ever hear them say they struggle with new rules. That’s why I’m still waiting to judge Lewis. He undoubtedly has a better start to the season, but when people say: ‘The previous generation of cars didn’t suit Lewis,’ I have trouble with that,” Coulthard said in the Up To Speed podcast.
‘The holy grail’
Coulthard sees that drivers who previously had a big advantage over their teammates have been neutralized. He says it’s as if the ‘super talents of this generation’ are less dominant than before. “Lewis is someone who redefined the sport and has put together an amazing series of championships. It now feels like drivers who historically had bigger differences compared to their teammates, like Max compared to Hadjar for example, have been neutralized. That might help others who are no longer as good as before or simply never were that good, to level their performances,” said the former Formula 1 driver.
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According to the Scot, it is now more about the drivers who fight each other than the teams. That’s why he is curious how this season will develop. “We always look at the comparison between teams. That is the holy grail to determine whether you have performed or not. At the moment, there is no clear separation between the drivers and teams. In the past, there was Fernando, who dominated his teammates, or Lewis or Max did that. So I’m curious how the season will unfold with the new regulations,” Coulthard concluded.
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