David Coulthard thinks Lando Norris can forget about retaining his F1 title in 2026

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David Coulthard has issued his verdict on the true candidates for the 2026 F1 championship, effectively ruling Lando Norris out of defending his title amid Mercedes’ dominance.

Last time out in Miami, Lando Norris finally opened his race-winning account for the 2026 F1 season as he led a McLaren one-two in the Sprint race.

The reigning world champion almost backed it up with another victory in the Grand Prix, eventually losing out on the win to Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli by just over three seconds.

What do you expect from Lando Norris in the 2026 F1 season?

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It marked a stark shift in form for the Woking-based outfit, who began the season with three DNSs over the first two race weekends. Things were looking grim, but the Miami Grand Prix upgrade package has seemingly worked wonders.

They haven’t stopped there, either. McLaren have continued to develop the MCL40 ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, with reports suggesting that Andrea Stella and co may have developed a race-winning car for their ambitious driver line-up.

Still, F1 legend David Coulthard is adamant that there will be only two championship protagonists this season, and, unfortunately, Norris isn’t one of them.

• READ MORE: McLaren’s ‘masterpiece’ new front wing has transformed Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s MCL40

David Coulthard rules out McLaren and Ferrari in title race during analysis of F1’s ‘pecking order’

In a recent appearance on F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast, the 13-time Grand Prix winner gave his thoughts on the current pecking order of the grid after being hypothetically asked which outfit he would join if he had the chance.

Of course, the Silver Arrows were the natural first selection, with Coulthard answering, “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.”

Is Lando Norris’ championship title defence already over?

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The Scot also identified the rest of F1’s ‘big four’ teams as a natural landing spot for any driver looking to be successful in the sport. “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.”

In terms of the midfield and backmarker occupants, Coulthard sees James Vowles’ leadership of Williams as a strong suitor, as well as Cadillac as a potential dark horse in the grand scheme of things.

However, for the current campaign, the 55-year-old can’t see anyone dethroning the Mercedes duo of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell in the hunt for the drivers’ championship.

“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.”

• READ MORE: Martin Brundle shares the ‘clumsy’ Lando Norris example to inspire George Russell amid F1 title bid

However, that’s not to say Mercedes will run away with it. Coulthard still expects some stern competition from their ‘big four’ rivals, finishing the segment with, “A lot of upgrades will come. McLaren showed well, so they may get in the mix.

“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.”