David Coulthard praises McLaren’s unique approach this past season. The papaya team had two skilled drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, both contenders for the title. Thus, the team refused to pick a favorite, giving Zak Brown and Andrea Stella both a fair shot at the championship. Coulthard lauds this mentality, comparing it to the era of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.
“I commend McLaren for allowing this internal battle to continue through the decades,” David Coulthard said on the Red Flags podcast. “They always have this mentality of, ‘Let’s bring in the two best drivers.’” The Scot recalls how a team like Ferrari operated very differently in the past. “Look at Ferrari during Michael Schumacher’s era,” he explained. “I know this firsthand because I was offered a contract that stated I would be the second driver alongside Michael. It was impossible for me to agree to that.”
‘They Just Want the Best Drivers’
“Eddie Irvine was okay with that,” he continued. “And Rubens Barrichello and Felipe Massa have had great successes as Ferrari drivers.” But at McLaren, there’s rarely been such a division of roles, emphasized Coulthard. “They just want the best drivers and then try to manage them. Look at the rivalry between Prost and Senna, and all those other epic battles between teammates.”
“I also believe they offer everyone equal opportunities regarding the cars,” Coulthard added. “I truly have faith in McLaren, and Zak Brown and Andrea Stella deserve all the praise. This goes for the entire team.” He specifically mentioned top engineers Rob Marshall and Peter Prodromou. “They’ve rebuilt that winning culture, and it’s wonderful to see,” Coulthard concluded.
