F1: Coulthard calls for more license flexibility

Former F1 racer David Coulthard believes that there has to be room for flexibility within the new Formula 1 superlicense regulations to accommodate exceptional rising stars.

A framework based on allocating points via finishing position in selected championships during the previous three seasons was revealed earlier this month, with drivers needing 40 points to qualify for the requisite license. But Coulthard argues that there has to be potential for exceptional talents who have not achieved the required points but have proved themselves ready for F1 to step up.

"It shouldn't be locked down and, that's it, we never adjust it," said Coulthard at the AUTOSPORT International motorsports show. "There is a championship in there that doesn't exist right now [Formula 2] that gets many more points that some of the championships that do, so I think that we need to get going and then see how it works out.

"Let's say if there was someone that seemed to be exceptional and the sport as a whole gets behind that person, we shouldn't just restrict it to points alone. Maybe some guys can't do the whole championship so can't win it, yet they have more talent than the one that does win the championship."

Coulthard also suggested that the weighting of the different series, which has been a controversial topic, could need to change even though he agrees with the principle of the system.

"I haven't looked closely at how the points situation plays out but it seems to me that they have created a league that favors some of the lower formulas over others," he said. "Personally, having been to a few of the undercard race series, I am not sure the actual points are how I would lay them out. Some of those championships deserve more than they have been given.

"That said, you are not going to please everybody so you have to create a system which at least makes it that someone has to achieve a level of success to be given the opportunity to move up to the big time beyond just turning up with a big check. So the basis of the concept of it, I agree with."

Originally on Autosport.com