As widely rumoured, Red Bull Racing Team driver David Coulthard today announced that he will retire from racing in Formula One at the end of the season. He will however remain actively involved in F1 as a consultant to Red Bull.
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Thank you David Coulthard for all the fine moments in racing you've given us! I wish you all the best for the last races and for the rest of your career!
Principessa wrote:Thank you David Coulthard for all the fine moments in racing you've given us! I wish you all the best for the last races and for the rest of your career!
A great racer who will be missed!
Very well said
At least he'll still be developing the cars in some form. Good work so far with RBR
"It could be done manually. It would take quite a while, but it could be done. There is however a much more efficient and accurate way of getting the data. Men with lasers." Wing Commander Andy Green
As a Scot, it's a sad day for me, because, even as much as I disliked him during the Shumacher/Hakkinen/Coulthard days, he was the sole Scotsman on the grid and it brought me a lot of pride to see someone from such a small country do so well.
He will be sorely missed -- but we need another Scot on the grid!!!
He was the first "poleman" I have ever seen "live and direct" in the Argentine 1995 GP. I even felt embarrased when our former president "Menem" gave him a trophy after obtaining that Pole Position.
I used to like him more than Hill in Williams but less than Hakkinen in McLaren. He won the first race for McLaren after almost 4 years there and broke the negative spell after left Senna. I rate him in the same driver category as Berger, Barrichello, Patrese, Alboreto and others: several wins, many many F1 races, good teammate, not WDC material.
I won´t miss his present driving as I think it´s time to say goodbye (Rubens, hello!) but hope he continues with his typical humorous comments!
"You need great passion, because everything you do with great pleasure, you do well." -Juan Manuel Fangio
"I have no idols. I admire work, dedication and competence." -Ayrton Senna
I think it's the right time to go but ultimately I will be sorry to see him go. He's a nice guy and very professional. A good ambassador for the sport.
"Whether you think you can or can't, either way you are right."
-Henry Ford-
The only driver ive stuck with thru F1 since i started watching in about 1992 as a 8 year old, then Senna had his accedent in 1994, and then i started following David. I always will have a soft spot for all of the teams he has driven for, Williams, McLaren and Red Bull.
He was one brilliant racer, giving wins to Mika and who was his team mate, when they needed it to try and win the drivers title. David should have won it, but because he was the best team player, he gifted wins to others. Ofcourse he also had a few near misses as well.
Another Scottish driver on the grid may happen next year i think, with maybes Dario and his recent NASCAR situation. Dario to Honda with Danica, with Jenson getting the boot there and Rubhino retireing at the Brazillian GP as well, but doing what Schumi does at Ferarri and what David will do at Red Bull and being a "Special Consultant" test triver at tests at Honda may be on the cards.
Jenson i think will eventually make his way to either Toyota or Renault i think.
ben_watkins wrote:Gonna miss him swearing in interviews on live telly!
I believe that he will be giving plenty of interviews during Grand Prix weekends as he will be seen in the paddock quite often in my opinion. F1 is in his blood and it will be hard for him to let go.
Oh common waynes...he made a mistake. I swear Kimi made a few mistakes at Australia this year? Massa at Silverstone, Schumi at Monaco 2006, Hamilton Canada '08. They all make mistakes.
Also don't feel I'm having a go at you, I'm not, I laughed at your post because I had a feeling I knew what video was comming up, im just smiling thinking "Oh, be fair to the poor guy" lol.
I like DC though, don't always agree with him, but I do like him. He's never been the fastest, but he's a good and capable F1 driver with a quick wit and he ain't afraid to call it like he sees it. He's a character, and once again we find ourselves loosing the Irvine's, Alesi's, Mansell's, Piquet's (Sr.) and Villenurve's of this world. Like any sport we need characters in ours and DC will be missed.
Thankyou for moments like Silverstone '00 DC. (Oh and Adelaide '95 hehe) [that really was just too funnt then, and it still is now]
Silence is golden when you don't know a good answer.
[b]ITV-F1: David Coulthard's latest column[/b] wrote:The timing is convenient in that, all being well, I will be a father at the end of this year. But that wasn’t the deciding factor because plenty of drivers have children and continue with their careers."
Congratulations! Looks like racing hasn't been the only occupation for him lately...
So besides being a 'consultant' for RBR, he will have a new 'bundle of joy" to keep him busy after his retirement from racing. I presume the mother is fiancée Karen Minier.