David Coulthard throws caution to F1 drivers over Max Verstappen approach

Former F1 driver David Coulthard has suggested drivers will “think twice” before opting to attempt an overtaking move on Max Verstappen.

Verstappen has long been noted for his aggressive defence tactics and has been criticised by some of his rivals in the past.

The matter became a talking point once again last year when the Dutchman went wheel-to-wheel with Lando Norris for the title, forcing the McLaren driver off the track at the races in the USA and Mexico.

The pair also clashed earlier in the campaign at the Austrian Grand Prix, with the stewards penalising Verstappen for their late-race contact.

Verstappen is aiming to secure his fifth F1 title this season but could have several drivers to contend against ahead of a year that is predicted to be highly competitive between multiple teams.

Speaking on the latest episode of the RacingNews365 podcast, 13-time grand prix winner Coulthard suggested Verstappen has installed a sense of anxiety in rival drivers.

“Max has shown himself to be the all-rounder,” Coulthard said. “He is the benchmark in F1. That's not to take anything away from Lewis [Hamilton] as a seven-time world champion.

“But in the more recent seasons, Max has earned that right.

“He’ll be the one that all of the drivers will think twice before pulling a manoeuvre on.”

Coulthard details different approach for 'uncompromising' rivals

Verstappen faced criticism from drivers and pundits alike for his racing approach against Norris last year.

Coulthard, throughout his 247-race career, faced up against some of the biggest names in the sport's history including Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen.

Drawing on his own experiences, Coulthard outlined drivers will not be afraid to race Verstappen, but rather will need to adopt a different approach. 

“As a side of that perception, the drivers that see an opportunity will probably just go for it with Max, because of his perception,” he said.

“It’s the same way I would approach Michael in a different way than I would Mika or Jean Alesi or guys that were very straightforward to race with if there was an opportunity.

“Michael was a lot more complicated to race with, because he was he was just so uncompromising.

“But you just had to play that into your performance profile if you found yourself fighting over the same piece of race track.”

Coulthard hails 'clean' Hamilton

One of Versatppen's biggest rivals during his F1 career has been Lewis Hamilton, with the pair famously going head-to-head for the title in 2021.

The duo have won every F1 title on offer across the last eight years, firmly placing themselves in the F1 history books.

Hamilton is entering a new career chapter this year as he joins Ferrari after calling time on his stint with Mercedes at the end of the 2024 season.

Coulthard reflected on Hamilton's career with admiration as he highlighted how polished the Briton's wheel-to-wheel combat has been.

“Lewis is remarkable in that he's fairly uncontroversial on track as a driver,” he said. “He hasn't been involved in many incidents and accidents over the years.

“A couple of them were recently, of course, have been with Max - but for the rest of his career, he's been incredibly clean.

“He’s been able to do that winning and be that successful with that as his sort of calling card.”

The full interview with David Coulthard will be released on Monday, March 9 on YouTube and all of your podcast players!