Coulthard questions Red Bull domination: 'Takes away some magic'

Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard has voiced his concerns following Max Verstappen's dominance in 2023. The Dutchman broke records last year when he won 19 of the 22 Grands Prix and went on an unbeaten run of 13 victories in a row, before Carlos Sainz became the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race at the Singapore Grand Prix. He also set the record for the highest number of points in a season at 575, outscoring his teammate Sergio Perez by over twice the amount he scored in the season at 285. But his dominance could have come at a cost for global F1 TV audiences, as people want to see more variety and competitiveness among the field.

Coulthard: With sport we look to be inspired

While Coulthard has still been involved with his former team, he has admitted concerns over how their dominance could be perceived if they continue to dominate F1. “That expression ‘familiarity breeds contempt’? If you adapt that to sport, the same thing goes,” said Coulthard when speaking to The Telegraph. “Too much success kind of takes away the magic. With sport, we look to be inspired, to grow, to move forward, and if one team is doing all that, then it doesn’t give enough hope for everybody.”