Coulthard concerned he isn’t good enough

Is Coulthard afraid he won't be good enough?

David Coulthard admits he has plenty of reservations about the new regulations that will be introduced in 2009. As he gets older and his reflexes get worse it appears he is afraid he won't be able to handle an F1 car after the changes. He doesn't say that but it sure appears that way.

The Red Bull Racing driver says the changes, which includes the use of slick tires and new aerodynamic rules that will heavily reduce downforce levels, are unlikely to have the desired effect on Formula One.

"I'm skeptical it will have a big effect, because there will always be quicker cars that qualify at the front and slower cars that qualify at the back – and why would the slower car be able to pass the quicker car just because it's less upset by turbulence? It just won't happen," he wrote in his ITV column.

"I'm curious to see how the rule-makers will deal with the implications of that, because if cars are travelling 10-15 km/h faster at the end of the straight there's significantly more energy to arrest in the event of an accident."

"I also feel there is a genuine safety concern about the banning of tire warmers," he wrote.

"It cannot be good to have big speed differentials between cars. The worst case scenario would be an accident at somewhere like Monaco between one car travelling slowly on the line on cold tires and another arriving at full speed.

"I know some people will argue that motor racing is dangerous and it should be up to the drivers to handle the challenges thrown at them – but this seems an unnecessary additional risk for no real benefit."