David Coulthard weighs in on McLaren 'equal opportunity' issue

David Coulthard has shared his belief that McLaren provided Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri with "equal" machinery during the 2025 F1 season.

However, the 13-time grand prix winner, who raced for the Woking-based squad between 1996 and 2004, highlighted how there could be an unconscious bias in the direction of the British driver.

Accusations of favouritism towards Norris engulfed the constructors' champions over last year's campaign, which was ultimately won by the 26-year-old.

Despite Piastri leading for much of the season, he fell 13 points short of his team-mate, and behind Max Verstappen, in the final standings.

His late-year capitulation led to the unfounded suggestion that he was provided with inferior machinery, something that was used in conjunction with arguments that he was being unduly disadvantaged in decisions.

McLaren has long strived for parity in its driver line-up, but certain team orders that went against the Australian were used as ammunition against the papaya outfit.

"It's a tricky one, isn't it?" Coulthard said when asked about the prospect of preferential treatment at McLaren on the Red Flags Podcast.

"And of course, the immediate response from anyone at McLaren would be 'that's not the case.'

"And that's absolutely fine. I get that. And they may genuinely - not just want to close the conversation down - but they may genuinely believe that. But that’s it."

'Equal opportunity in terms of machinery'

The Scotsman likened the situation to being "slightly closer" to one child than the other to illustrate his point that any potential leaning may be unintentional.

"I only have one son, but if you've got two kids. You must kind of be slightly closer to one than the other. You've got to be, because we're all different.

"I'm the middle of three, and my brother's very different to me and my sister, who's no longer with us sadly, but she had a different personality as well..."

Coulthard highlighted that Norris' greater experience with the team may play its part in the process, with him now at 152 grands prix in papaya and counting.

Nonetheless, the 54-year-old, who also raced for Williams and Red Bull, is adamant that both are fighting in equal cars.

"He [Lando] knows the team more, and if relationships didn't build over time and didn't matter, then we wouldn't have the word relationship. It is what it is," he added.

"So I believe that they're giving equal opportunity in terms of machinery. I truly believe in McLaren, and I think all credit to Zak [Brown] and Andrea Stella and all of the team and guys that I worked with, like Rob Marshall and people that are there and Peter Prodromou... they've built this winning culture again, and it's beautiful to observe."

Couthard was also keen to underline that Piastri still has work to do as he continues to progress, singling out how his season imploded following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

"But Oscar is younger," he said. "I think Mark Webber in his corner has helped bridge some of those gaps, and he's picked up where he was lacking... he was lacking qualifying — he's picked that up.

"And up until Baku, he was looking like [he had the] momentum. He was flawless, and the momentum was with him."

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