The ‘clashes’ over the regulations
The introduction of the new technical regulations has generated a succession of controversies that, even today, on the eve of the summer break, have not died down. From the one who became the ‘spokesperson’ for these criticisms, namely four-time world champion Max Verstappen, to other drivers who, like Gabriel Bortoleto, have instead defended the novelties, believing that these have not ruined the magic of F1. Regardless of personal evaluations, the fact remains that the regulations are there, and this has provided an assist for certain drivers to excel.
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The world championship leader, and not only
Of this, David Coulthard, winner of 13 GPs in his career, is convinced, having identified three profiles currently at their peak. Interviewed by the podcast Up To Speed, the first name seemed obvious: Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Winner of the last Belgian GP and championship leader, Mercedes’ #12 represents one of the three drivers who feels particularly comfortable with these technical regulations: “We must recognize that in this championship, with these regulations, some drivers feel more comfortable than others with the way these cars need to be driven. This big regulatory change has gone to Kimi’s advantage and helped him grow, and it was obviously very frustrating for George”.
A 2026 that started very positively for Antonelli, all after a 2025 in which his place at Mercedes had even been questioned. A year that was certainly not brilliant even for Lewis Hamilton, in his first experience at Ferrari and winner for the first time only in this season’s Catalan GP. A result, along with others, that underlines how ‘Sir Lewis’ feels better with the new single-seaters: “Lewis’s return to form is due to the different driving style required in today’s Formula 1, characterized by a lack of energy“, added Coulthard in reference to the one who occupies second place in the Drivers’ World Championship.
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Another growth
The former McLaren driver also highlighted how the new regulations have favored the driving style of Isack Hadjar, making his Red Bull debut this year: “If we compare Hadjar with Verstappen, I wouldn’t want to diminish Isack’s driving skills, but he seems to have gotten a bit closer than others“, he concluded.
