Coulthard: "Hamilton is an exceptional driver and seems timeless"

In an interview with GPblog.com, David Coulthard commented on the new regulations that will be introduced in Formula 1 next season. The former Red Bull Racing driver hopes that changes to the rules will work out well and also says that he is enjoying the performance of Lewis Hamilton immensely.

Will the 2022 rules work well?

Coulthard sincerely hopes that the new 2022 cars and the budget cap that is in place will actually level out the differences on the grid and that there will be more spectacle to see on the track. Nevertheless, the former Formula 1 driver is wary of too much optimism. According to Coulthard, the reality may turn out differently than many people currently envision.

"Frankly, Formula 1 is Formula 1. I will be pleasantly surprised if suddenly Formula 1 becomes a lot closer," Coulthard states. According to him, experience shows that the teams that are currently already at the top will most likely be so at the start of the season in Bahrain. However, this does not rule out surprises, as Ferrari and McLaren certainly have the capabilities to catch up.

Technical regulations from the FIA show that a 2022 car must weigh at least 795 kilograms, excluding fuel. That's 43 kilograms more than was the case last year, and that worries Coulthard somewhat. "If it's heavier, you need more electrical energy, more downforce and more tyre grip to maintain the lap times. So it's a classic two steps forward one step back. Let's see where we end up when the music stops," Coulthard said. 

Coulthard on Hamilton

Whether Lewis Hamilton will appear at the start in Formula 1 is still unclear. The Mercedes driver has been silent since the conclusion of the title decider. In Abu Dhabi, he lost a seemingly certain world title to Max Verstappen after a questionable decision by the race director.

Coulthard enjoyed watching Hamilton in 2022 and is looking forward to seeing the British driver go for an eighth title again. "Lewis is an exceptional driver and seems timeless. He doesn't seem to be ageing or losing energy. A large part of that is his own personal maintain and the Mercedes environment gives him the space to be himself and maintain the energy for the journey. He's a master of that. He's been there and done that, the cars that Max has he's just a brilliantly fast, unflappable racing driver. Inevitably and brilliantly for F1 we've got these two contenders going at each other."