and what is it with Coulthard he has just been signed up for next year Why do the red bull not see HE IS CRAP

Question

but just like a workman HE SHOULD NOT BLAME HIS TOOLS !!!!

Answer 1

DC has driven in more races than anyone out their.But now has lost the plot completly.It is time for him to hand over the keys to a younger driver.But Red Bull still maintain confidence in him good luck to him.

Answer 2

I was going to say that Coulthard has seemed rather revitalised as a driver since going to Red Bull. As rosbif has pointed out, Coulthard has been a consistent driver over the years and is doing a good job still.
Besides, Coulthard is someone, as other pointed out, who is recognisable and marketable. Also, with him being so experienced, he would be an ideal person for mentoring a younger team mate.
Look at Massa. As much as I'm still not entirely convinced by him as yet, he has improved since Schumacher took him under his wing. In a few years I expect Massa will be a really decent driver if he continues to improve. Coulthard can do the same with a young team mate, just slightly more anonymously with him being in the mid field.

Answer 3

I'm nowhere near his biggest fan but I have a lot of respect for Coulthard, as do many F1 fans and his fellow drivers. He is consistent and was superb in the McLaren for the 9 years he was there.
Like former team mate Damon Hill he was an excellent test driver for Williams and stepped up to the plate in 95 to win a GP in his first full season. .a season in which they were still reeling from Senna's demise.
Please read your history, i'm sure Red Bull are just glad that a GP winning driver of his vast experience can be bothered to compete and pass on valuable knowledge when he has earned enough in his career to sit on his backside and suntan.

PS he is working with the supremely talented Adrian Newey, arguably one of the era defining designers of the 90's and who has designed every car Coulthard has driven/won a race in. Even Schumacher had Ross Brawn

Answer 4

He isn't crap, he's a very consistent driver in races and he's an excellent test driver, which is exactly what a young team needs if it is not to go astray. In terms of wins, he is the second most successful current driver, and 17th= on the all-time list (equal with Alberto Ascari, one of the top ten of all time). He has the 5th most points ever scored (only 2pts behind Barrichello in 4th), and the 5th most podium finishes. He's the 2nd most experienced driver on the grid and one of the very few who has been in serious championship contention before.

Why does this matter? Well:

Note that Raikkonen's results went downhill once Coulthard was no longer there to put him right in testing. Coulthard is a top tester and his great experience means that he's even better now than he was when he first signed as the Williams test driver in late 1993. The Red Bull car would be a lot worse without him there.

He is probably the most recognisable driver in F1 today as well, at least to irregular fans. As "j s" says, he is great for marketing, not only is he a friendly guy, but even people who don't necessarily care about F1 know what he looks like and have heard of him in the past. Can't say that for most of the people on the grid.

He appears to have more accidents these days simply because of the low qualifying positions he finds himself in; simply put, there is a much greater chance of someone running into you on the first lap in midfield than there is at the front.

Except for the current Ferrari/McLaren pairings, I'm not sure who Red Bull would want to swap Coulthard for. Barrichello is probably as good a test driver as Coulthard, but is he any faster in the race? Button is probably quicker, but he's evidently not a great test driver (I blame him for a number of Honda's problems). Trulli and Ralf are no better than he is, and looking at the mess Toyota have been on on slow tracks where their engine advantage is cancelled out by the abysmal chassis, I'd say they aren't great test drivers either.
Who else? Not Heidfeld, he's the least successful current driver in terms of GPs without a win (he's 6th on the all-time list). Not Rosberg, he's too young to be a team leader... better than his old man, but nowhere near the finished article. Not Fisichella, he's old too and nowhere near as successful as Coulthard has been. Kubica or Kovalainen - see Rosberg.
Who does that leave? A real never-was (Wurz), and a load of never-will-be's.

So, all in all, Coulthard is pretty useful.

Answer 5

As a retired race car driver (open wheel) I can tell you it doesn't matter how good or bad a driver may be --- it's about marketing. Coulthard is a great marketing tool - he's young, attractive, appealing, and occassionally wins a race; not to mention he is considered one of the largest marketing tools in F1 racing. You must remember that to those involved in racing, at any level, racing is not a sport --- it's a business --- a really, really BIG business.
Just think about this --- Michael Waltrip (NASCAR) is one of the worst drivers in that circuit -- but he's loveable, personable, and now people associate him with Aaron Rents. Doesn't matter if he wins (or even finishes) races - his name has become associated with Aaron Rents, which has provided his sponsor (Aaron Rents) with tons of revenue.

It's all about marketability of a driver - has very little to do with his performance as a race car driver!

Answer 6

Coulthard is not crap. He is just falling back and performing below average. I think he should leave F1. He is getting old and he's not doing well anymore. He should leave and spend more time with his family and friends. And besides, new talents are joining F1 (Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg) so he ought to leave so that there are changes in F1.

Maybe Red Bull thinks he's consistent and they may think he is good enough to retain his seat. Plus, they may not have other good or new drivers yet or are going to keep him for one more year only.

Answer 7

I don't think coultard is crap, he's a decent driver driving a crap car, not many other drivers could get the performance out of that shite box red bull that he does ?.
Plus experience like that is hard to come by, and David will be a big help with the future development of the car !.

Answer 8

Dont underestimate Coulthard

If he is given the tools to do the job, he will perform.

He obviously has seen the developments in the pipeline for the RB car and believes his stay there is worth his while.

Answer 9

i've talked with coulthard, he's very sharp, aware, and he's a great driver.he just had a piece of **** car and doesn't have the balls to put it in the wall.

Answer 10

What and keep webber!
Read a book and leave the thinking to normal people!