F1 News: Ralf Schumacher and David Coulthard criticises ‘off the pace' modern F1

F1 News & Gossip

Schumacher criticises ‘off the pace' modern F1

Schumacher and Coulthard are unhappy with the current state of the sport

Cal Gaunt

Sunday 11 February 2024 13:57

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Former F1 drivers Ralf Schumacher and David Coulthard have criticised the current state of the sport, suggesting it has deviated from the high-speed, sprint-racing mentality of their era.

Schumacher, now an observer, noted that modern races sometimes see drivers trailing by six or seven seconds, a departure from the aggressive racing style of the past.

The comments contribute to the ongoing debate about the direction of Formula 1, calling for a return to the sport's roots of pushing the limits from start to finish.

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“Well, first of all, I think it’s a different life," Schumacher said on the Formula For Success podcast. Now, I really enjoy what I do – being all of a sudden, from the other side. It’s much more easy by the way because to criticise people and not being on the race track.

"[For] myself, it’s a mega difference and it’s really interesting to watch. The only thing I miss to our days, I think we were more of sprint racers, we had to push 100%. Now in qualifying, yes they do, but sometimes they are six or seven seconds off the pace [during races], which for me, is sometimes too much.”

Coulthard concurred, emphasising his belief that F1 should prioritise speed over endurance-style elements like fuel and tyre management.

“I agree with you unsurprisingly. For me, grand prix racing should be about going as fast as you possibly can from the start to the finish. It shouldn’t be about fuel management, tyre management.

"When I say that, of course, there’s always an element of tyre management, you don’t just spin the wheels every time you leave a hairpin because it’s fun to leave black marks on the track. But I think Formula 1 did morph a little bit too much towards endurance type, sports car racing for a period there."