Every Formula 1 fan will have heard of David Coulthard, the Scottish-born racer widely known as DC.
Throughout his professional racing career, which lasted from 1994 to 2008, he earned an impressive reputation for his enthusiasm, team spirit, and, of course, Coulthard's skills as a driver.
Though he didn’t always manage to win, he certainly put in a lot of effort and made his mark on the sport thanks to his determination. Here’s a look at five of Coulthard’s biggest achievements from his F1 career.
Winning 13 Grands Prix
Grands Prix are hugely popular races that attract interest from not just Formula One fans but also the general public. They take place in countries all over the world and are exciting events with many spectators. Lots of people like to bet on who’s going to win; they join online sportsbooks such as gg.bet to place their wagers and hopefully make some money in the process.
During his 15-year career with Formula One, Coulthard won a total of 13 Grands Prix. A dozen of these wins came while he was with McLaren Racing Limited; the other one, his very first Grand Prix win, happened when he was with Williams Racing. Here’s a full list of his Grand Prix wins:
- 1995 Portugues Grand Prix (the only one with Williams Racing)
- 1997 Australian Grand Prix
- 1997 Italian Grand Prix
- 1998 San Marino Grand Prix
- 1999 British Grand Prix
- 1999 Belgian Grand Prix
- 2000 British Grand Prix
- 2000 Monaco Grand Prix
- 2000 French Grand Prix
- 2001 Brazilian Grand Prix
- 2001 Austrian Grand Prix
- 2002 Monaco Grand Prix
- 2003 Australian Grand Prix
Though he didn’t win any Grands Prix in the last five years of his Formula One career, the fact that he won 13 is still something to be commended for. It’s also impressive that there were several years when he won two or even three Grands Prix.
Scoring the Most Points for a British Racer
It was in 2008 that Coulthard made the decision to formally retire from Formula One. By the time he did this, he had earned a total of 535 points, which made him the highest-scoring British racer in history. His best year was 2000 when his point total was 73. Other high-scoring years include 2001 (65 points) and 1998 (56 points).
Towards the end of his career, he didn’t earn quite as many points. For example, in 2008, his final year, he managed to claim just 8 points. His total for each of the two years before this was 14. In the two years before these, he earned 24 points. Even though his point scoring wasn’t consistent and decreased as his career went on, his overall number of points is still a great achievement.
Winning the Hawthorn Memorial Trophy
The Hawthorn Memorial Trophy is an award given out every year to honor the achievements of a Formula One racer from Great Britain or the Commonwealth. It’s named after Mike Hawthorn, the first Formula One World Drivers Champion from Great Britain, who retired after his win due to the death of teammate Peter Collins.
Coulthard was awarded the Hawthorn Memorial Trophy in 1998 and would go on to win it a further four times (2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003). There are other racers who have won the award more times, e.g. Lewis Hamilton and Nigel Mansell, though Coulthard’s collection of five trophies is nonetheless an impressive feat. The fact that four of these were earned in consecutive years is also noteworthy.
Winning the Race of Champions Twice
Back in December 2004, Coulthard took part in his first Race of Champions at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis. He represented Great Britain alongside Colin Mcrae, the 1995 World Rally Champion, and made it to the quarter-finals. He would take part in the competition every year until 2010, reaching the latter stages but never quite managing to win.
He rejoined the Race of Champions in 2011, though it wasn’t until 2014 that he became a victor, winning the Driver’s Cup after beating Germany’s Pascal Wehrlein. That year, he also finished as runner-up in the Nation’s Cup alongside Susie Wolff (the competition’s first-ever female participant) losing to Team Nordic. Then at the 2018 event, which was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, he again won the Driver’s Cup, defeating Norway’s Petter Solberg to clinch victory.
Being Named British Competition Driver of the Year Three Times
In 2000, 2001, and 2002, Coulthard was named British Competition Driver of the Year by Autosport. This magazine hit the shelves in 1950, the same year that the Formula One World Championship began.
Coulthard is one of a few racers to have won this particular award in consecutive years. He also won the Autosport British Club Driver of the Year award in 1989, before his career with Formula One began.
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