Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard has dismissed the narrative that drivers can blame poor performance on the championship's new 2026 regulations, insisting the all-time greats successfully adapt to any machinery.
F1 introduced a major regulation change in 2026. While several drivers have struggled to extract consistent pace from the new generation of cars, Coulthard argued that a driver's baseline performance should remain unaffected by the rulebook.
Speaking on the Up To Speed podcast following the United States Grand Prix, the 13-time grand prix winner drew on his own career to reject the idea that specific cars do not suit certain drivers.
"I drove active cars, passive cars, 3.5-litre, 3-litre, 2.4-litre, groove tyres, slick tyres, tyre wars, and my performance throughout all of those was relatively the same, quite frankly, in that I lacked a 10th in qualifying and that makes it difficult for you to get track position against your team-mate," Coulthard explained.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
"So I understand when we talk about, 'This car doesn't suit this driver,' but [Ayrton] Senna didn't really have a bad formula. [Michael] Schumacher didn't have a bad formula. Hamilton, did he have a bad formula or was it just fatigue? The guy's been around forever; relationships get fatigued. Maybe his love for the sport at that time just wasn't quite there, but he's amazed me with the way he's bounced back.
"Today was a little bit more tricky for him than for Charles, but I'm not sure I really buy into this generation doesn't suit this driver."
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, who is in his second season in F1, had the chance to claim his first championship at the United States Grand Prix. While he won the race, his title rivals George Russell and Lewis Hamilton scored enough to keep the fight going to the Mexican Grand Prix.
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