DAVID COULTHARD today confirmed he will retire from Formula One at the end of the season.
The 37-year-old from Twynholm in Scotland announced his decision ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix, which will be his 237th start.
The Red Bull Racing veteran made his debut with the Williams team in 1994 before joining McLaren two years
later.
Coulthard remained with the Woking-based squad for nine seasons before joining Red Bull in 2005.
Coulthard, who will remain with Red Bull beyond the end of the season in a consultancy capacity, confirmed his decision in a statement circulated at Silverstone.
"I would like to announce today my decision to retire from racing in Formula One at the end of this season," the statement read.
"I will remain actively involved in the sport as a consultant to Red Bull Racing focusing on testing and development of the cars. I have an open mind as to whether or not I will compete again in the future, in some other form of motorsport, so I am definitely not hanging up my helmet.
"My decision to retire was taken earlier in the year and is based on a desire to stop while I am still competitive and enjoying the immense challenge that grand prix driving represents. I also have the desire to look for new challenges within the sport.
"The decision to make this announcement at the British GP should be an obvious one for all to understand, as I have achieved two of my 13 F1 victories at Silverstone and I am a member of the British Racing Drivers' Club, which hosts this event.
"I am proud of my work at Red Bull Racing and will continue to race with the same focus until the last lap in Brazil. Thereafter I will continue to help the team develop and move towards their ultimate goal of winning races."
Coulthard's break in Formula One came in the wake of Ayrton Senna's death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
The Scot was promoted from his test driving duties at Williams to replace the Brazilian, making his debut at the Spanish Grand Prix.
His first victory in Formula One came at the 1995 Portuguese Grand Prix, while 12 more wins followed with McLaren between 1996 and 2004 – including double wins at the British and Monte Carlo Grands Prix.
His final win came at the 2003 Australian Grand Prix. To date, Coulthard has scored 62 podiums and 533 championship points.
"Working with David has been an absolute pleasure and his contribution to the team over the past four seasons has been significant," said Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner.
"He is a consummate professional and I think that one of the key elements to the length of his career is the dedication he has applied and the commitment he has shown.
"He scored our first point, our first podium and was the first of our drivers to lead a grand prix. Within the team there is a huge amount of respect for David.
"His retirement brings to a close not just his career as a grand prix racing driver but also a chapter in the history of Formula One, if one considers the changes the sport has been through while he has been involved with it."
The full article contains 555 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
