Formula One is a rumour factory, a gossip-fest with some background noise of car engines at high revs. It would be cheaper if they used Muzak.

On many days, such as Thursday at the Circuit de Catalunya – the penultimate day of the second week of testing before the season’s opening race in Melbourne on 20 March – it is very possible not to see a single car in action, except on the TV screen.

The noise of F1, it often feels to me, even its current reduced state, is merely to drown out some of the more malicious canards. The tittle-tattle and whispers are all part of this most political and neurotic of sports. And I have a tasty morsel for you: In London next Tuesday, when Channel 4 announces its new Formula One presenting team, I understand that Susie Wolff will be unveiled as one of the star guests.

The former Williams test driver, who is also the wife of the Mercedes motorsport director, Toto Wolff, is not expected to feature every time. But she is set to be one of the biggest attractions as Channel 4 announces plans to change its talking heads from race to race.

When I put this to Channel 4, in general, and David Coulthard, in particular, they stonily refused to confirm it. But my understanding is Wolff will join others, including the former Red Bull driver Mark Webber, in an effort to mix up the opinions that are given to us.

All Coulthard would say was this: “We’ll have a professional presenter. Then we’ll have a mix of diverse people, some of whom will be recognisable to the masses, and some will not. We will have a range of different views.

“The full team will be announced next week but as a fan of motor sport, I am excited by some of the people we have coming in.”

The fact that Coulthard and the highly impressive commentator Ben Edwards have joined from the BBC, following Auntie’s decision to get out of F1, is almost enough to guarantee the success of the new format. But it will be interesting to see if Channel 4 can live up the high standards it has already shown us with its coverage of cricket, horse racing and the Paralympics. It also knows that the BBC, ITV and Sky have all covered F1 with some elan.

Channel 4 will televise 10 races live, including the British Grand Prix in July, and will broadcast practice sessions and qualifying. It will also show highlights of all 21 races. Its first live race will be in Bahrain, the second event on the 2016 calendar.

Naturally, Coulthard can’t promise the racing will be any better than the past two seasons, which have been comprehensively dominated by Mercedes.

He said: “I’m very excited about the year ahead, even though the reality is we will have – if we’re lucky – two teams battling for the championship. I think Ferrari will be stronger. I think they made a big step with their power unit and they will be stronger this year. I think it will be Mercedes and Ferrari at the front.

“Honda will be better but sadly I think it will be another year of frustration for Jenson Button and for Fernando and McLaren fans. I don’t think they will be getting any podiums this year.”

Coulthard feels Nico Rosberg has to beat Lewis Hamilton if he is to be taken seriously as a great driver. He said: “Nico came off the back of what happened in Austin [where Hamilton won the world title for the third time last year] and delivered what would have been a championship-winning campaign if it had happened earlier.

“If Lewis retires and Nico wins the championship does that mean he’s a great champion? I suspect for him to be seen as a great champion he has to beat Lewis in the same car. But it’s in his hands. He can certainly beat Lewis on occasions.

“I have sympathy with his plight. I didn’t have the consistency to beat Mika Hakkinen [at McLaren] across a season. I had to do it on occasions and taste the champagne. But the ultimate goal is to become world champion.

“The strength Nico had in 2014 was to nail the qualifying. Lewis struggled to piece that together. But Nico couldn’t beat Lewis in wheel-to-wheel racing. Last year, Nico lost a bit of his qualy performance until later in the season. So he needs to strap together his 2014 qualy with 2015 end of season.

“He’s got all the data at his disposal – he knows everything about Lewis, what strategy he is planning to do. He can see inside the mind of the chess master he is playing. He’s got a chance.”

But I think I’ll ask Susie.

• Channel 4 is the new home of free-to-air Formula 1 in the UK