
Autosport International
Coulthard doubts new rules
David Coulthard has cast open doubts about some of the new rules due to be introduced in Formula 1 this year - claiming that he believes Sunday qualifying will be scrapped and that the single tyre regulation may prove unpopular


Speaking as the main star at the Autosport International show on Saturday, Coulthard was asked what he thought of some of this year's rule changes, and first expressed his misgivings about the new qualifying format.
"After 10 years in the sport, I know that there are things that are put in as new regulations and things do change, so it is not clear that the regulations will remain," he said.
"If you follow what the television companies say then they don't what to have the two qualifying sessions split. I think there may be changes before Melbourne."
Regarding the new tyre rules, which will force drivers to use the same set of rubber for both qualifying and the entire race distance, Coulthard expressed some doubts about the realities of drivers being forced to finish races with far from perfect rubber.
"There are some things to say about safety issues," he said. "When you get a flat-spot on a tyre, whereas in the past you could come in early for a pit-stop, now you will get a penalty which may force a driver to stay out there and try to live with it.
"Only if you have driven a grand prix car at 200mph with a flat-spot do you know what it is like - your vision is blurred and the car is difficult to control. You can argue that if it is dangerous you should stop, but your competitive side comes out - like on the rugby field when people take some really bruising tackles and play on because their focus is absolute.
"There are some real arguments to say that it could be more difficult, but let's wait and see. I have raced in formulas where you have one set of tyres and you just have to manage in a different way.
"Last year there were races where the tyre wear was fine to do a whole GP distance so it is not quite the technical challenge some might think - but of course lap time wise we will not be as quick over a whole grand prix distance with one set of tyres."
Latest news
NASCAR bans Chastain Martinsville wall-ride manoeuvre
NASCAR has decided to ban the wall-ride manoeuvre made famous by Ross Chastain at Martinsville that secured him a place in the Championship 4.
Gasly: Mindset for Alpine is "completely different" to Red Bull F1 move
Pierre Gasly says he has a "completely different" mindset for his Alpine Formula 1 move thanks to lessons taken from his failed stint at Red Bull in 2019.
GTD Pro win a “proper send-off” for retiring IMSA stalwart MacNeil
Winning the GTD Pro class at the Daytona 24 Hours was a fitting way for Cooper MacNeil to retire from racing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, says team-mate Jules Gounon.
The all-French F1 partnership that Ocon and Gasly hope to emulate
Alpine’s signing of Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon revives memories of a famous all-French line-up, albeit in the red of Ferrari, for BEN EDWARDS. Can the former AlphaTauri man's arrival help the French team on its path back to winning ways in a tribute act to the Prancing Horse's title-winning 1983?
The 2022 Autosport Awards winner using Esports as a launchpad
A trail blazed in Esports has inspired a revamp of the annual prize that aims to discover the best young engineering talent. Autosport met Autosport Williams Engineer of the Future winner Michael Preston
The plug in and play stand-ins who got their timing just right
Nyck de Vries’s Italian GP exploits weren’t the first post-eleventh-hour call-up in motorsport history, and won’t be the last either. Here are some offbeat tales from the past
Porsche’s hopeful Le Mans future meets its illustrious past
Rising sportscar star Adam Smalley had to pinch himself when offered the chance to drive the car that won the world’s most famous enduro in 1987
Why romanticism isn't the key factor in Lola’s racing return
The iconic Lola name is being relaunched after it was taken over by new ownership. Part of that reboot is a planned return to racing, though the exact details of this are still to be finalised - though its new owner does have a desire to bring the brand back to the Le Mans 24 Hours. But romanticism doesn't appear to be the driving force behind this renewed project...
Rating the best drivers of the century so far
Autosport's Top 50 feature has been a staple of the magazine for the past two decades since its first appearance in 2002. Here are the drivers that have featured most prevalently during that time
The best motorsport moments of 2021
Motorsport produced one of its greatest years of all-time in 2021 despite a backdrop of ongoing COVID-19 challenges and an ever-changing racing landscape. Through the non-stop action Autosport has collected the finest moments from the past 12 months to highlight the incredible drama and joy motorsport generates
The racing comeback artists who resurrected long-dormant careers
Making it in motorsport can be tough, and sometimes drivers move elsewhere before their best chance arrives. Here are some of those who made it back
The hidden racing gem attracting ex-F1 heroes
It’s rarely mentioned when it comes to assessing the best national contests, but the Brazilian Stock Car series that reaches its climax this weekend has an ever-growing appeal. Its expanding roster of ex-Formula 1 names has helped to draw in new fans, but it's the closeness of competition that keeps them watching
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.