David Coulthard doesn’t think Lando Norris will retain his F1 title in 2026

David Coulthard has shared his thoughts on the real contenders for the 2026 F1 championship, essentially dismissing Lando Norris’ chances of retaining his title given Mercedes’ strong start to the season.

After a slow start to the year, Norris picked up his first win of the campaign in Miami, leading home a McLaren one-two in the Sprint. The reigning champion came close to doubling up in Sunday’s race but fell short against Kimi Antonelli by just over three seconds.

Norris nearly made it a clean sweep that weekend but fell short by just over three seconds against Kimi Antonelli in Sunday’s Grand Prix. Even so, it marked a clear shift in McLaren’s form, especially after they opened the season with three DNSs across the first two races. Things were looking grim before Miami, but an upgrade package seems to have turned things around.

But according to David Coulthard, there are only two real contenders for this year’s championship – and Norris isn’t one of them. Speaking on Channel 4, he said:

“I think only two drivers can win this world championship. They both drive Silver Arrows.”

McLaren and Ferrari left out of title race by David Coulthard in F1 analysis

During a recent episode of the Beyond the Grid podcast, Coulthard shared his view on the current pecking order after being asked which team he’d choose to drive for if given the option.

Naturally, Mercedes came up first, with Coulthard saying: “Well, it would seem obvious to say that what we’re seeing perform right now, in this new set of regulations. Mercedes are up and running, so they are absolutely safe.”

The Scot also pointed to the rest of F1’s ‘big four’ as smart options for anyone looking to find success. “Your big four are quite clearly where the safe places are,” Coulthard said. “So Mercedes, McLaren, and Ferrari.

“Red Bull have slipped, obviously, to be at the bottom of that pecking order right now. But they could very quickly move forward again because their power unit seems to be performing. So it’s about unlocking the chassis performance.”

Further down the grid, Coulthard highlighted Williams under James Vowles’ leadership as a promising option and noted Cadillac as a potential surprise package.

Still, when it comes to this season’s title fight he doesn’t see anyone getting past Kimi Antonelli or George Russell at Mercedes.

“Right now George and Kimi are in the world championship pound seat,” he asserted. “The world championship is going to one of those two drivers if the continued trend of performance in the first three Grands Prix plays out.”

Coulthard isn’t expecting Mercedes to completely run away with things though, predicting that other teams will get involved as upgrades roll out through 2026.

“So, I don’t see Mercedes winning everything. And of course, Ferrari. We know that Charles is one of the fastest drivers on the grid. Lewis seems to be, you know. born again. He’s got energy, and he’s right there, knocking on the door. So there’s a lot to be excited about.”