Coulthard: “The drivers are not happy” with the current F1 cars
David Coulthard gave his opinion on the 2014 cars in the Formula 1 World Championship, and the Scotsman is not particularly thrilled with the noise of the 1.6L V6 Turbo engines introduced this year. He believes that F1 must improve things for the fans of this sport.
The former F1 driver turned commentator, David Coulthard, gave his opinion on the current Formula 1, and for him, it’s not as fun as before because the drivers don’t enjoy it as much as they used to, with the arrival of a less powerful engine – the 1.6L V6 Turbo.
« They are not happy. The marketing people love it because it gives them a reason to invest in Formula 1, and I fully understand, but the drivers are no longer enjoying driving the cars this year, » the former Red Bull driver told AOL Cars.
The Scotsman believes, however, that even if some enjoy themselves more than others on the track – behind the wheel of the Silver Arrows – it is still not like before: « Nico [Rosberg] and Lewis [Hamilton] are probably a bit happier because they have a better package, but even if you talk to them privately, they say that the driving experience is not as pure as it used to be. »
Coulthard recalls his experiences as a spectator at F1 Grand Prix and how sound was an integral part of the spectacle: “Part of an F1 event was arriving at the circuit and getting excited by the noise and anticipation as soon as you heard them. When I was a child, going to Silverstone, I remember being at Stowe corner with mist. At the end of the morning, out of the mist came a V12 Ferrari driven by Alesi and the noise was incredible – you heard it coming and knew it was a Ferrari. It went by and you thought ‘wow’.”
« It’s ridiculous to love things that make your ears suffer, because if your wife talks too much and your ears hurt, we don’t like that! But with racing cars or music, it’s all about the sound and the associated experience. » adds the Scotsman.
If attempts have been made, unsuccessfully for now, to improve the sound of the new engines, Coulthard believes it’s the duty of F1 decision-makers to improve things for the spectators and viewers: « If you go to see the Rolling Stones and they come out and say that tonight it’s just going to be acoustic because they’re getting old and don’t want all that noise anymore, the audience won’t be very happy and that’s natural. It’s the same with F1. I heard that [the noise in] Monaco was 20% lower this year. We have a responsibility towards the fans. The fans will eventually speak up, and they know what they want. »
