Coulthard steers towards retirement

DAVID Coulthard feels it is the right time to bring the curtain down on his distinguished Formula 1 career after confirming he will retire at the end of the season.

The 37-year-old Red Bull Racing driver, who has won 13 grands prix in a 236 races to date, announced his decision ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix.

"I've had a growing feeling that this year is the right time for me to make it my last year in Formula 1," Coulthard revealed in a press conference at Silverstone.

"It's a good time. I'll be 38 next year, and nothing lasts forever. I've enjoyed my racing and I think it's the right time."

Coulthard's most competitive period in Formula 1 came driving the Adrian Newey-designed McLarens of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In that period, Coulthard twice won the British and Monaco grands prix but failed to mount a concerted title challenge.

In both 1998 and 1999, Coulthard was forced to play second fiddle to Mika Hakkinen, who won back-to-back championships in a car that was the class of the field, but the Scot insists he has no regrets.

He said: "I've always had a fairly realistic view of the career of a sportsman – how long it may last and the opportunities that are there for you. I feel fulfilled in the opportunities I had.

"I won't be looking back thinking, 'if only I had a championship-winning car'. I did have a world championship-winning car – I just didn't win it. But I won a number of grands prix and had a lot of fun along the way."

Coulthard's break in Formula 1 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. He moved to McLaren in 1996, and stayed with the team for nine seasons.

Since joining Red Bull in 2005, Coulthard has spearheaded the rise of the team financed by billionaire businessman Dietrich Mateschitz, scoring the team's first point and its first podium.

"I'm still competitive with the machinery I've got," added Coulthard, who has scored 62 podiums and 533 championship points to date. "After 15 years, I'm clearly not going to battle for a world championship, I'm unlikely to win another grand prix unless something remarkable happens this year, and I feel somewhat fulfilled in the role I've played at Red Bull. I've helped the team grow and seen the team move forward."

Coulthard will remain with Red Bull beyond the end of the season in a consultancy capacity, an arrangement that will see the Scot continue to test for the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

"The journey I've started with Red Bull will continue, but not as a grand prix driver, and that's something I'm comfortable with," he said. "Part of the plan is to drive the car from time to time."

When asked whether his motivation would suffer between now and his final race at Interlagos in Brazil on 2 November, Coulthard replied: "If I thought that then today I would be stepping to one side.

"That's the good thing about making the decision in that I have all the motivation and am enjoying the racing. I would hate to find myself in the situation where I wake up and think, 'I don't want to go racing today'.

"The sport's in good hands, with the other, younger British drivers."

Those younger Brits – McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Honda's Jenson Button – were seated alongside Coulthard at the same press conference, and paid tribute to the veteran's achievements.

"I'm sad to see him go," said Hamilton. "I've known David for quite a long time. He's always been one of the coolest characters in the pit lane, and after such a long period of time, he's still here and pushing very hard. He's an inspiration for all us drivers, he sets a good example."

Button added: "When you look at David's career, he's achieved a lot, and a lot more than most drivers will ever achieve in their Formula 1 career.

"I'll miss him at the races for sure next year, but I'm also happy for him that he's made the decision to do something else next year. It's nice when you can make that decision yourself."

Twynholm driver's road to the top

1971: Born on 27 March, in Twynholm.

1982: Begins racing career in karts.

1989: After three Scottish kart titles, graduates to single-seaters and wins junior class of British Formula Ford 1600 Championship.

1990: Wins McLaren Autosport Young Driver of the Year Award after finishing fourth in the Formula Vauxhall Lotus series.

1991: Second in British Formula Three Championship, but wins prestigious Marlboro Masters race at Zandvoort.

1992: First proper Formula 1 test with Benetton. Finishes ninth in Formula 3000 Championship.

1993: Tests for Williams and finishes third in F3000. Wins GT class at Le Mans with Jaguar.

1994: Promoted from tester to race driver with Williams after Ayrton Senna's death. Ends the season eighth.

1995: Wins first Grand Prix in Portugal.

1996: Switches to McLaren and ends the season seventh.

1997: Takes two wins in finishing third overall.

1998: Team-mate Mika Hakkinen wins title as Coulthard finishes third again.

1999: Two more wins, but still behind champion Hakkinen.

2000: Three wins earns third in championship.

2001: Best championship result yet with second.

2002: One win on his way to fifth overall.

2003: First season with Kimi Raikkonen as team-mate sees one win and seventh overall.

2004: First year without a win since 1996 after being told he was no longer wanted at McLaren.

2005: Enjoys superb form with the Red Bull Racing team, taking six points finishes in the first ten races.

2006, 14 May: Competes in 200th Grand Prix of his career, but finishes just 14th for Red Bull in Spain.

2006, 28 May: Achieves Red Bull's first podium finish, coming home third in the Monaco Grand Prix.

2007, August: Reveals in his autobiography how he developed bulimia as a teenager as he battled to keep his weight down for racing.

2008, 8 June: Scores his first points of the season with a surprise 62nd career podium finish, taking third place at the Canadian Grand Prix.

2008, 3 July: Announces he will retire from Formula 1 at the end of the season.