David Coulthard sends clear message to critics of F1’s 2026 regulations

Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard has urged fans to give the new regulations time before making up their minds about them.

The 2026 season welcomed a new wave of regulations into the championship, and so far, the changes have received a mixed reaction from drivers and fans.

While some have criticised the ‘artificial’ overtaking, superclipping and the amount the drivers have to manage energy deployment, others enjoyed the exciting opening laps of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, which included a tense battle between George Russell and Charles Leclerc for the lead.

The race in Melbourne consisted of 120 overtakes, in comparison to the 45 in the 2025 race.

“I was in the passport line leaving Australia with a guy even older than me who was saying ‘I’m done with Formula 1. I do six grands prix a year. I’ve got all the Ferrari cars. I’ve got an RB17,’ which is a £5million car coming to him,” Coulthard said during the Up To Speed podcast.

“So this is a high-end customer, and he’s going ‘I don’t want to see managers, I want to see racers’. And I’m going, ‘OK, I hear you, but let’s give it some time.’

George Russell, Mercedes, Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images

“If I sit back and look at it from my point of view, I really enjoyed the opening laps of the grand prix. They would pass, then repass. The drivers were figuring out how to use the tools at their disposal. And has that not always been the case?

“When Cosworth came with the DFV, it rewrote the rules of Formula 1. Anyone who didn’t have an engine like that was like, forget it. So, I think we need to give it time.

“The best drivers will always be able to utilise the tools. I think there are some interesting tactics. Mercedes has probably given their customers the information quite late. Why not? They’re not in the business of having McLaren win, or their other customers. So, as we know in Formula 1, things change quickly. Let’s have this conversation again in six months.”

Photos from Chinese GP – Friday