David Coulthard (photo below) is one of the most experienced Formula 1 drivers. The idol of women and the idol of youth. A businessman owning a number of hotels in Monaco and the UK. But behind his smile lies a difficult fate. In this article, you will be presented with a brief biography of the rider.
Childhood
David Coulthard was born in Twinholm (Scotland) in 1971. The boy grew up in a wealthy family. David's father was at the head of a transport company inherited from his grandfather. This is what helped Coulthard to make a future career as a racer. The father of the boy was a fan of karting. He was able to convey his love for this type of racing to his own son. At 10 years old, David already participated in competitions. And at 12, little Coulthard won the British title. He held him for the next three years and left the juniors undefeated. David then spoke at Formula Ford and won the championship. Then the racer came to the “Formula 3000”, becoming a member of the team of Paul Stuart-Racing. There he gained experience and improved personal results.
"Formula 1"
1990 - this is the year when David Coulthard first came to these races. Since then, Formula 1 has become an integral part of his life. It all started with a prize from the McLaren team, which he won in 1989. This gave the rider the right to drive a Formula 1 car. In 1992, David tested the Benetton Ford auto team. Two years later, the Williams invited him. Coulthard became the official test pilot of this team. After the death of Senna in 1994, David took his place. The debut of the rider took place at the Spanish Grand Prix, according to which he became the fifth. Coulthard managed to win his first victory in 1995 at the Portuguese Grand Prix. Unfortunately, this was the only victory of the season. David obviously lacked experience. As a result, the Williams management did not renew the contract with him. But another team drew attention to a promising newcomer.
Career at McLaren
With the advent of David, the McLaren team has just begun to emerge from a protracted crisis. The Mercedes engines were not to blame, not differing in speed and reliability. Therefore, Coulthard did not show any outstanding results. He did not finish seven races and only twice visited the podium.
Best years
Everything changed in 1998. McLaren cars are finally faster. Coulthard along with Hakkinen regularly took first places in the qualifications. The team focused on Mickey, so David had to be content with second roles. In the season, Coulthard twice became a bronze medalist and six times a silver medalist.
In 2000, McLaren decided to change tactics. Now each pilot had to show his maximum on the track. Under the new conditions, Hakkinen and Coulthard were almost on a par. During the season, David won three races (including the Monaco Grand Prix) and eight times won the podium. However, according to the general results, both Coulthard and Hakkinen outperformed Schumacher, who became the champion. Mickey got silver, and David got bronze.
In 2001, Hakkinen’s results declined, and Coulthard, on the contrary, began to build pace. In the first six races, David won two victories and climbed the podium three times. In fact, he became the leader of the team. But in the future, the driver could not compete with Schumacher. Michael was constantly ahead of David on all tracks.
Decline in results
In the 2002 season, Coulthard’s results fell. The pilots of the Williams and Ferrari teams dominated everyone else. David was able to win only once - in Monaco. Throughout the distance he was closely pursued by the legendary Schumacher. But still, Coulthard managed to get ahead of Michael by a second. In 2003, the Scot showed even worse results.
2004 was a disastrous year for Coulthard. He never appeared on the podium. The main reason for this was the mechanical problems in the McLaren cars. Therefore, David had to be careful. Even if the rider was in the spectacle zone, he scored only one or two points. The provision of a new high-speed car to Coulthard did not help in improving the results. As a result, McLaren did not renew his contract.
"Red Bull"
In 2005, David Coulthard was invited to this young team. The management hoped that the experience of the rider will help in its formation, even if he does not show impressive results. Coulthard's teammates were Luzzi and Wedge. The season was successful for David: he scored 24 points. Of course, for McLaren such a result would be a failure. But for the Red Bull, this was an undoubted success. The contract with Coulthard was extended for another year.
In 2006, David's performance deteriorated. He either stepped out of the race or finished outside the points. During the season, Coulthard scored a total of 14 points. On the other hand, the Scot managed to win third place in a very difficult race - the Monaco Grand Prix. This was the best achievement of the Red Bull team until 2009. As a result, with David extended the contract for another twelve months. The 2008 season was the last for the rider.
Retirement
After David Coulthard left Formula 1, he took part in the German DTM championship (body racing). The hero of this article also became a commentator on the BBC. Currently, the former racer lives in Monaco and is engaged in the hotel business.
David Coulthard: height, weight
This point is interesting to a fairly large number of Scots fans. There is a lot of controversial information on the Internet on this subject. But in most sources, the following numbers are indicated. The rider is 182 centimeters tall and weighs 75 kilograms.
Personal life
During his career, David Coulthard more than once became the hero of the tabloids, who attributed to him novels with various supermodels. The most famous of them were Ruth Taylor and Heidi Klum. But in his interviews, the driver repeatedly stated that these presses are inaccurate and outdated. Karen Mignier is the name of the girl David Coulthard chose as his life partner. The wife of the hero of this article worked as a journalist for racing in Belgium. There they met. In 2008, the couple had a son, Dayton.
In 2000, David, along with Heidi Wichlinski (the then passion of the rider) had a plane crash. During a flight on a small aircraft, an engine ignited. During an emergency landing, the aircraft received multiple serious injuries. The pilots died, and Heidi and David were able to quickly leave the burning plane and get off with minor injuries.