When a Formulation 1 driver retires, they could go and race elsewhere for some time. They could go into broadcasting, or transfer into the world of enterprise. David Coulthard has finished all of that since calling time on his F1 profession on the finish of 2008, however he’s additionally taken on the same old second profession of being a Formulation 1 driver. Once more.
Ever since becoming a member of Crimson Bull Racing on day one in all its existence in 2005, Coulthard has been the crew’s go-to driver for its Showrun exploits. It’s a job that’s continued since he stopped competing in grands prix – in actual fact, he’s now been driving for the crew in an extra-curricular capability longer than he truly raced in F1.
“I wouldn’t be capable of give an actual quantity, but it surely have to be greater than 50 through the years, together with after I was in F1,” he tells RACER of the variety of occasions he’s finished exterior of grands prix for Crimson Bull. “It’s all the time been a component, going and placing the automotive within the city.”
Coulthard and I are chatting at Wrocław’s Stadion Olimpijski in Poland the place, after exploring the interior workings of Crimson Bull’s Showrun crew final yr, RACER’s been invited to expertise what was discovered on that day in the true world.
Crimson Bull is the one crew doing these kinds of real-world, visceral occasions regularly. In a world pushed by the media and an F1 panorama dominated by the likes of Netflix and social media, they could appear pointless if all you’re after is publicity and model consciousness, however Coulthard says the primary individual expertise is one thing that may’t be matched – even for the youthful technology which could be extra accustomed to a digital or on-line world – and may be inspiring.
“All of us need experiences,” he says. “I feel what’s modified is that the youthful technology are significantly better knowledgeable. They’re not higher life skilled, however they’ve acquired rather more data and emotions as to what they’re or what they wish to be, and I feel that we have now to evolve and adapt to these conditions.
“They will come and see a automotive. Okay, it’s completely different to a contemporary grand prix automotive, but it surely was nonetheless world class at its time and gained many grands prix on the planet championship.
“It’s a bit of expertise and to see it, I feel, helps you type of measurement it. And if you happen to’re a younger designer or a younger engineer, in your thoughts, you would possibly, oh, that’s what I’d like to do. I discover them inspirational.
“So something the place folks can have the possibility… there are children right here which might be super-excited. Loads of them are actually impressed. After they raise the physique off, you’re seeing what was tech at the moment, which you wouldn’t have had the chance to do again within the day for apparent causes.”
Youthful followers have countless methods to have interaction with F1 from behind a display screen, however there Crimson Bull occasions are constructed across the premise that there’s no substitute for experiencing issues first-hand. Damian Kramski/Crimson Bull Content material Pool
The stadium factor of the Wrocław occasion was an on the spot sell-out, necessitating a further three runs on close by streets to fulfill the five-figure crowd numbers, and Coulthard says such massive numbers in obscure areas isn’t uncommon.
“There’s no query that Crimson Bull have invested extra time and vitality in doing that, to the purpose the place there’s just a few of the locations we’ve gone, after which very shortly afterwards, they’ve introduced there’s going to be a grand prix there. I’m undecided that’s going to occur right here, however I’m all the time amazed as a result of it’s all the time so nicely acquired by the general public on the bottom,” he says. “There’s been ones the place we’ve genuinely had tens of 1000’s of individuals flip up.”
It’s these extra uncommon assignments from Crimson Bull, together with the expertise of sharing F1 with new audiences, that retains Coulthard coming again for extra.
“I’ve loved the, let’s say, more difficult ones like being on high of the Burj Al Arab, as a result of that may be a as soon as in a lifetime second,” he recollects. “Now, I’m not saying that driving down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington in a Formulation 1 automotive isn’t a as soon as in a lifetime second, however I feel it was simply type of so on the market, and we did it as nicely in Miami (on the One Thousand Museum). They’re enjoyable as a result of on the finish of the day you might be doing one thing actually fairly completely different.
“However anyplace the place you possibly can truly kind of stretch your legs and present folks what Formulation 1 feels like – the one in Dublin was a bit of bit moist final January, but it surely was simply such an awesome ambiance. The Irish don’t get very a lot Formulation 1 motion, so that they had been positively up for it and the rain didn’t put them off, and we nonetheless had been capable of placed on an inexpensive present.”
To date there’s been nothing he’s stated no to, describing himself as “fairly free that means”. In actual fact, it’s the crew that has held off from doing one thing Coulthard is eager to strive: driving the wrong way up.
“I wish to do this, I’ve been truly lobbying the crew for nicely over a decade, and so they have finished some analysis into it, and it’s simply actually been a query of timing and assets and all that kind of factor,” he says. “However I wish to be a part of that as a result of I belief the engineers, consider the science, and regardless of any individual as soon as saying that, ‘Oh, we’d like a pilot for that’, I’m and considering, ‘I’m fairly certain we’re going to keep up contact with the bottom.’ I might reasonably go along with a driver than a pilot as a result of if you happen to lose contact, there’s no flaps, there’s no wings…”
The automotive he’s tasked with driving essentially the most, the 2011 RB7, is reasonably completely different to the RB4 he raced in his closing season, however he says it’s not one thing that feels a world away regardless of F1’s constantly-evolving nature, and that he’s managed to grasp sure methods with it that even the most effective of the present race drivers don’t all the time handle.
“They’re V8s – it’s only a automotive, it’s a much bigger automotive, it’s acquired much more tech happening, however on the finish, the motive force exploits what’s obtainable to him,” he says. “I feel anybody may bounce in who’s pushed a race automotive, I don’t suppose it significantly must be an F1 automotive.
David Coulthard experiencing a “as soon as in a lifetime second” on the helipad of the Burj Al Arab lodge in Dubai in 2013. Samo Vidic/Crimson Bull Content material Pool
“The clutch is fairly jumpy typically, however I – contact wooden – would say I’m truly, I feel I’m fairly good at donuts. Even Grand Prix drivers, they overspeed, and so they find yourself doing kind of extra like sizzling canine, so I wish to attempt to pleasure myself in leaving a pleasant circle on the finish.”
He even provides that I wouldn’t have a tough time within the RB7 if I had been to drive it.
“You’ll be able to drive the automotive, completely, if you happen to can drive,” he says. “(However) you would possibly wish to have a bit of spin round to get a really feel for it first.”
Whereas I did get some seat time within the automotive, it wasn’t fired up – as a result of Crimson Bull takes enjoying round very severely. And because the report books present, it’s each bit as critical on the race observe, too. It’s a mirrored image of the model that has been massively profitable in every little thing it’s finished, however not on the expense of maintaining its groups and athletes sure to boring company guidelines of engagement.
“I bear in mind asking Mr. (Crimson Bull co-founder Dietrich) Mateschitz proper on the very starting – as a result of I’d been 9 years at McLaren, and I match it fairly properly into that surroundings – I stated, ‘What’s it I ought to know, what are the dos and don’ts?’ and he went, ‘Simply be your self’. That was so simple as that. When you match with the model, you’re with the model. When you don’t wish to be with the model, then that’s high quality. So it’s tremendously uncomplicated.
“It shouldn’t be for any of us to attempt to inform anybody else methods to be,” he provides. “And I truly suppose that there’s no level having somebody with their very own character after which saying ‘we’d such as you to be like…’
“I want a briefing as to the place I’m and what I’m doing, however aside from that, you’ve acquired to only say what you’re feeling and consider and be skilled. I don’t suppose that’s an excessive amount of to ask.”
Coulthard arrived at Crimson Bull with virtually a decade of expertise on the multiple-championship-winning McLaren crew and some years earlier than that at Williams, which he believes that helped him affect the once-floundering former Jaguar crew and setting it on the trail to turn into what it’s at this time.
“I bear in mind after I joined Crimson Bull, one of many issues that I expressed to the crew at the moment was by no means to ask me whether or not I wished to do one thing,” he says. “We’re a part of a crew. If it’s actually essential and also you consider in it, inform me that is what you’re doing and I’ll do it, as a result of if you happen to’re asking, it places a doubt in my thoughts.
The beginning of one thing massive: Coulthard places the brand-new Crimson Bull RB1 by way of its paces in F1 pre-season testing in Barcelona in 2005. Motorsport Photos
“All folks should be aligned and go in the correct course, whether or not that’s the motive force or whether or not it’s anybody else. In order that, to me, is what a crew is, and a crew guides and leads their departments based mostly on their data and expertise.”
These days although, Coulthard has no affect on Crimson Bull’s F1 crew, And when he’s not driving the squad’s previous vehicles in unusual locations, he’s working as a TV analyst for Channel 4 within the UK. However don’t for a second suppose he’s getting tip-offs from his previous crew – he even sees that disconnect with the now-all-conquering outfit as very a lot a profit.
“I’m in no way concerned with the race crew, I don’t have any particular kind of data or entry to that, which is nice for the position I do inside tv, as a result of I can genuinely simply say what I see,” says Coulthard, who can be a model ambassador for Mercedes. “Regardless of some folks all the time considering that I’m kinder to 1 than the opposite, I feel plenty of the time it’s their bias reasonably than my bias.
“I don’t determine who wins. I used to be genuinely excited at a few of the grands prix when Mercedes had been dominant, and even when Nico (Rosberg) was profitable – who took me out of my final grand prix, not that I maintain a grudge… nicely, I do maintain a grudge, however credit score the place credit score’s due, and if any individual’s finished an unbelievable job and so they’ve labored arduous and delivered an awesome grand prix end result, whoever that’s, that’s what I really feel as a fan of the game I’m there to speak about. And I’ve acquired a bit of little bit of perception, and I’ve an opinion.
“However you’ve gotten your perspective, and another person has their perspective, and chances are you’ll get three completely different factors of view, however ultimately, that’s high quality. I all the time discovered it fascinating that relating to incident, accidents and stewarding, I may even see a sure means, however after all, the stewards may even see one other means, and I defer to the truth that they’ve acquired extra info obtainable to them in the identical means that I needed to after I was driving. I didn’t all the time agree with a few of the penalties they gave me, however the referee is the referee.”
Coulthard’s retirement from racing coincided with an upturn in kind for Crimson Bull. The yr after he stepped apart, it gained six races, and the yr after that, it claimed its first two titles. I ask, regardless of his being extra current in F1 than ever, if he regretted stepping away from racing in F1 a yr or two too quickly. Though it took away a near-certain likelihood so as to add to his haul of 13 grand prix victories, Coulthard insists it was the correct time for him.
“I didn’t, as a result of it’s all about vitality and your lifespan in a sure position,” he explains. “And I feel that there’s nothing worse than being the individual that overstays their welcome. I feel that I used to be in diminishing returns. I had nice alternatives in my profession to win races and battle considerably for championships earlier in my profession.
“I knew it was time, as a result of after I examined the automotive initially of 2008 for the primary time, I knew it wasn’t going to be a grand prix profitable automotive. That didn’t imply that we couldn’t win a grand prix, as a result of there’s all the time these Olivier Panis in Monte Carlo moments [ED: with Ligier in 1996], but it surely was, for my part, extremely unlikely, and that meant one other 12 months of slog. And the way in which I raced, I didn’t simply flip up and bounce within the automotive. It was all-consuming, daily, each week, did all of the testing, by no means missed occasions as a result of it issues. It issues to point out dedication.
“I feel there’s been different extra profitable, lazier drivers – perhaps that was the important thing to their success – however you’ve acquired to decide to what you consider is the correct approach to flip up and be a part of a crew. The explanation why I used to be 9 years at McLaren, and the explanation why I nonetheless have a relationship with Crimson Bull at this time, is due to a piece ethic and turning up if you’re imagined to do what you’re imagined to do after which strive to not take anybody’s digital pockets, which apparently, is a destructive factor.”
