> DC: GPDA must stand firm

David Coulthard says the Grand Prix Drivers Association (GPDA) must be prepared to "stand up and be counted" when making its voice heard in Formula 1's political arena.

The 35-year-old Red Bull star, who had a well-publicised spat with FIA president Max Mosley over the safety standards of the Italian Grand Prix venue Monza, believes the drivers' body should not back down in its aim of improving the safety and the sport of F1.

"It isn't just a case of sounding off," he said in an interview in the latest issue of F1 Racing.

"We have views, and we can back them up with facts, and we aren't going to be intimidated into keeping our mouths shut for fear of getting a slap."

DC used the Monza row (where a GPDA statement criticising circuit officials for not taking the drivers' opinions seriously enough was swiftly rebutted by Mosley's defence of the track and its facilities) to illustrate his point.

"Instead of real answers we got a letter from Max saying we were speaking out of turn," he explained, "and that the terms of our superlicenses include a clause that says we aren’t allowed to speak out of turn or against the governing body, etc.

"And that's sad, really, isn't it?

"Because all we were trying to do was request Max's assistance in a professional and non-hysterical manner.

"Of course this impasse is all the more surprising because Max and [FIA technical delegate] Charlie [Whiting] have always been such strong advocates of circuit safety and have done the sport a power of good over the years, something I'm damn grateful for."

Mosley stated after Monza that he was prepared to listen to drivers' concerns, but said the GPDA should have spoken to the FIA first rather than going public.

DC feels however that drivers' views on safety and sporting matters should be taken more seriously by the sport's authorities.

"I don't presume to have even a miniscule amount of Max's brain power," said Coulthard, "and I have to admit that he's always well prepared and in possession of all the data that the FIA's team of highly skilled research engineers have assembled for him – but it's still us, and only us, the drivers, who really know what it's like to follow another car through a wall of spray at somewhere like Spa.

"And I can't imagine that at, say, NASA, if a professional body of astronauts were to present their views to the powers-that-be, they'd be told, 'Shut up and prepare for blast off.'

"The FIA recently commissioned a survey to find out what F1 fans think of the sport – and rightly so," he added.

"I'm all for the fans expressing their views; I'm all for everyone involved in the sport expressing their views; why, then, must we drivers not express ours?"