David Coulthard turns 54: A look back at the highlights of his F1 career

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CAR – F1 1994 – SPANISH GRAND PRIX – BARCELONA – PHOTO: THIERRY BOVY / DPPI DAVID COULTHARD / WILLIAMS RENAULT FW16B – ATMOSPHERE – PORTRAIT

Called in by Frank Williams to replace Ayrton Senna after the tragic 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, the young David Coulthard (23 at the time) tried to make a name for himself in the cutthroat world of Formula 1. The Scotsman did rather well, notably with a second place at Estoril (Portugal) at the end of the season, and played the role of lieutenant to Damon Hill (vice-champion) as best he could.

In 1995, David Coulthard opened his winning streak in Portugal and even finished on the final podium (3rd). There were, however, some major blunders, notably in Adelaide (Australia): while leading, David Coulthard missed the braking point while entering the pit lane, and had to retire with broken front left suspension. He was replaced by the promising Jacques Villeneuve the following year.

Nine years of marriage at McLaren

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It's with McLaren that "DC" would garner the most awards: 12 victories from 1997 to 2003 and 14 fastest laps. During this period, the Briton distinguished himself by being very consistent, although a little slower than the leader of the Silver Arrows, Mika Häkkinen. David Coulthard, known for his gentlemanly spirit, did not hesitate to react to the manly maneuvers of certain rivals, such as Michael Schumacher. In 1998, in the rain at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), the two drivers exchanged a few pleasantries in the pits after crashing.

Two years later in Magny-Cours (Nièvre), David Coulthard clearly showed his excess towards the defensive trajectories of the German champion.

But before these clashes, the two men got along well. During the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix, David Coulthard, hampered by fogging problems in his helmet, was lent a helmet by the German. As luck would have it, the title sponsor was identical between Ferrari and McLaren.

Red Bull's latest exploits

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Having fallen behind in 2004 (7th), David Coulthard found refuge at Red Bull. Within the Anglo-Austrian team, DC brings his experience. He will even sign two last podiums despite a car clearly second curtain, on demanding circuits like Monaco (in 2006) and Montreal (Canada, in 2008). In the Principality, he collected his trophy along with a Superman cape to promote the film Superman Returns.

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