Coulthard: FIA must speed up race neutralisation calls after Spanish GP controversy

David Coulthard has urged the FIA to speed up its race-neutralisation decisions, saying there is clear “room for improvement” after Lando Norris lost a likely win at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Why it matters:

Norris was leading when Lance Stroll’s brake failure triggered a virtual safety car. The McLaren driver had already passed the pit entry, so Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli pitted cheaply and took his eighth win of 2026. The moment reignited a familiar debate: how much should luck — not just performance — decide a Formula 1 race?

The details:

• Coulthard, on the Up To Speed podcast, questioned the time between an incident and a VSC, safety car or red flag. “I think that can be tidied up,” he said.
• Will Buxton argued the system is inherently unfair: “It’s luck of the draw. You’re either going to land on the side that has worked out brilliantly, or the side that has completely screwed your day.”
• Coulthard cited Monza, where a red flag after a major Parabolica crash came too slowly. “That should be as quick as a yellow flag comes out, the red flag should be out.”

What's next:

The FIA is under fresh pressure to review its race-control protocols. Coulthard’s criticism makes it harder to ignore the need for swifter judgement.