Coultard On the Grid next year?

[XM5er]

www.motoring.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=756&fArticleId=2335385

'I'll be back' says Couthard - but is it bull?

December 6, 2004

London, England - Britain's David Coulthard says he will be back in Formula 1 next year and hinted during the weekend that a move to the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team was imminent.

"I'm going to be on the grid and we just need to put everything in order before making the announcement," the 33-year-old Scot told Eurosport TV when asked where he would be next year.

Coulthard has been replaced at McLaren by Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya and has yet to find a new employer.

However Red Bull, the former Jaguar team bought from Ford by Austrian energy drink billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz last month, represents his best chance of staying in the sport after a decade with Williams and McLaren
Coulthard has been replaced at McLaren by Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya and has yet to find a new employer
.

The BBC earlier quoted the Scot as saying at a charity Race of Champions at the Stade de France in Paris that "I can't say today that I will drive for Red Bull but maybe I can in a few days".

"The team's position is that it is most likely because of the availability they have and the position they are in," he added.

"No doors are closed. Until someone signs a contract there's always hope and always possibilities."

Austrian Christian Klien, who drove for Jaguar this year, and Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi are Red Bull-backed drivers who have been testing for the team this week and are strong candidates to race in 2005.

However Mateschitz has questioned the wisdom of running two raw youngsters and has said Coulthard was top of the list of available experienced drivers.

The Scot has won 13 GP's - more than any other active driver other than Ferrari's seven-times World champion Michael Schumacher who won that many this year alone.

"We're exploring all opportunities," Coulthard's manager Martin Brundle, a former F1 driver turned TV commentator, said this week.

"And Red Bull Racing would unquestionably be one of them." - Reuters





Please, no!

[phatgixer]

I hope he is faster than he was at the ROC event. He was 8 seconds slower than Kovaleinen in the 360... My mum could have gone quicker...

[mutt k]

A Scottish racing driver said "My teammate's Red Bull had more caffeine in it than mine and his wiiiiings were bigger than mine, so he could corner faster than me, but I am fitter, leaner and more determined this year than ever before so if everyone else dies I still have it in me to be world champion"

[anonymous-user]

at the RoC he was asked what he was doing next year and he said (with a wry smile on his face) "I'llbe on the grid"

Sad to say but i think mr average has his seat in the red bull next year....

[Graham]

Actually i'd be interested to see what DC could do at Red bull/Jaguar it is a real last chance saloon that saw off Johnny, eddie and maybe now David...


He'll either be a total disaster and get a job cleaning the pit bikes the following year or he might just make a go of it.


as the article pointed out, he has the highest number of wins of everyone on the grid apart from shumy. the youngseters havent exactly put up a better fight than the older guys that they have replaced

G

[kevinday]

I think he could actually do a very good development job for Red Bull, thus allowing his team mate to get on the podium occasionally.

[XM5er]

kevinday said:

I think he could actually do a very good development job for Red Bull, thus allowing his team mate to get on the podium occasionally.

But how can someone who constantly blames his car for his failure be a good development driver?

[FourWheelDrift]

David Coulthard WILL be on the grid next year.

Here's photo proof from a recent seat fitting.

[Apache]

XM5er said:

kevinday said: I think he could actually do a very good development job for Red Bull, thus allowing his team mate to get on the podium occasionally. But how can someone who constantly blames his car for his failure be a good development driver?

cos by the time he's run out of excuses you'll have a pretty well developed car I guess

[JonRB]

I'm no fan of David "Next Year Is My Year" Coultard, but I do think he could bring some experience to a smaller team.

If he could hack it, I think he would make a superb test driver, but I dount his ego would swallow that, so he'll need a seat in order to do it.

Red Bull could do a lot worse, to be honest. A season with DC could see the car thoroughly developed and tested ready for a proper assault on the title for 2006.

[FourWheelDrift]

Times from todays test at Jerez, including Coulthards Red Bull run.

Leading times (8 December) - Jerez:

Pedro de la Rosa McLaren-Mercedes 1m 16.841s 111 laps
Antonio Pizzonia Williams-BMW 1m17.487s 73 laps
Jarno Trulli Toyota-Toyota 1m 17.607s 127 laps
Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren-Mercedes 1m 17.702s 98 laps
Ralf Schumacher Toyota-Toyota 1m 17.719s 85 laps
Mark Webber Williams-BMW 1m17.831s 85 laps
Franck Montagny Renault-Renault 1m18.061s 68 laps
David Coulthard Red Bull-Cosworth 1m18.080s 62 laps
Giancarlo Fisichella Renault-Renault 1m18.103s 92 laps
Jenson Button BAR-Honda 1m18.138s 44 laps
Christian Klien Red Bull-Cosworth 1m18.626s 54 laps
Marc Gene Ferrari-Ferrari 1m 18.779s 109 laps*
Luca Badoer Ferrari-Ferrari 1m 18.885s 117 laps*
Anthony Davidson BAR-Honda 1m19.235s 102 laps
Vitantonio Liuzzi Red Bull-Cosworth 1m19.420s 31 laps

[mg511]

Another great display from Webber then, Frank and Patrick must be getting a little worried.

[racefan_uk]

Christ, Coulthard must have the gift of the gab. FFS, why is anyone paying this bloke to drive their F1 cars? He's bloody useless!

With all the talent that's coming through the ranks in the last few years we still have to have this mid-field talentless prat in a car?

And as for the "He'll bring experience to a young team." label, err, it's complete rubbish. Jaguar - sorry, Red Bull, aren't a young team, they've been in F1 for years under the guise of Stewart-Ford and Jaguar, they have very talented people who work incredibly hard every year. Why should they waste a huge amount of development and R&D cash on a driver who's bloody useless?

[Hut49]

racefan_uk said:

... they've been in F1 for years under the guise of Stewart-Ford and Jaguar, they have very talented people who work incredibly hard every year. Why should they waste a huge amount of development and R&D cash on a driver who's bloody useless?

...and exactly how many pole positions, fastest laps, world championship points and race wins have this bunch of incredibly talented people who work incredibly hard got to show for their endeavours? Bugger all, from memory.

Check out Coulthard's stats - he might be more than they deserve!

[Racylady]

FourWheelDrift said:

Times from todays test at Jerez, David Coulthard Red Bull-Cosworth 1m18.080s 62 laps Christian Klien Red Bull-Cosworth 1m18.626s 54 laps

He was more than 1/2 second faster than Klien in testing and, for me, that means he deserves the drive. Give him a chance to prove what he can do. Regardless of the fact that he hasn't won the F1 drivers championship, he is still a big name and that will bring attention to the team. At the end of the day, I think his experience will be invaluable and a great asset for them.

[jacobyte]

racefan_uk said:

Christ, Coulthard must have the gift of the gab. FFS, why is anyone paying this bloke to drive their F1 cars? He's bloody useless!

Umm, he's better than you!

Coulthard is far from useless. He is a very strong racer and he is reliable. I agree, he can't peak his performances at the right time to be a consistent front runner, but he's a good points scorer for any team. As with any driver, on his day he's second to none.

The fact that he a whingeing whiner doesn't remove his ability.

[phatgixer]

mg511 said:

Another great display from Webber then, Frank and Patrick must be getting a little worried.

I thought I was the only one who thought he was made of Iron Pyrites...

At least most Aussie sports people have the dignity to be brash and awful.. Webber tries to be nice and demure, when really he is a bit of a sly one....

[Marki]

Im not keen on old Lantern Jaw but he kind of reminds me of Mansel in some way , Mansel was a nearly man for many years and then some how when he won his first GP he sudenly seemed to get the taste of winning .

He was still a moaning git but he won races

[kevinday]

Hut49 said:

racefan_uk said: ... they've been in F1 for years under the guise of Stewart-Ford and Jaguar, they have very talented people who work incredibly hard every year. Why should they waste a huge amount of development and R&D cash on a driver who's bloody useless? ...and exactly how many pole positions, fastest laps, world championship points and race wins have this bunch of incredibly talented people who work incredibly hard got to show for their endeavours? Bugger all, from memory. Check out Coulthard's stats - he might be more than they deserve!

Absolutely, there is only one current driver who has won more GPs than DC, I don't need to tell you who that is!

[FourWheelDrift]

I think it would have been so different had he not pulled over when leading at Jerez in 1997 to let Mika Hakinnen win his first ever race. I think the writing was on the wall then about who was Ron's favourite and he would be playing the role of Mika's wingman, he just hasn't shrugged that particular monkey off his back since.