
Coulthard in numbers
535 official points · best championship finish: 2nd in 2001
0Drivers’ titles
none
2Constructors’ titles
1994, 1998
24th of 789 all time
5.3% of races
4.9% of races
25.2% of races
0Drivers’ titles
none
1Constructors’ titles
1994
of 2 in the career
4% of races with Williams
20% of races with Williams
36% of races with Williams
0Drivers’ titles
none
1Constructors’ titles
1998
of 2 in the career
8% of races with McLaren
4.7% of races with McLaren
34% of races with McLaren
0Drivers’ titles
none
0Constructors’ titles
none
2.8% of races with Red Bull
David Coulthard was for over a decade one of Formula 1's most recognisable faces and the best Scottish driver since Jackie Stewart. He debuted at Williams in 1994 in dramatic circumstances, replacing Ayrton Senna after his death, and took his first win with the team before moving to McLaren.
At Woking he spent nine seasons and became a pillar of the team during the Häkkinen era and its rivalry with Schumacher. He racked up thirteen wins, many at grand venues like Monaco, where he particularly shone. Fast and consistent, he often carried the number-two label despite performing at a high level.
He closed his career giving visibility to the young Red Bull project between 2005 and 2008. After retiring he found a second life as a commentator and ambassador for the sport, where his charisma and warmth have made him even more popular than in his driving days.
What if Coulthard had another car?
We took his real attributes and put him in the best car of each era: in a real driver's seat, against the team-mate that car actually had. 20 full seasons in each.
| Car | Team-mate | Finish | Wins | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McLaren1988 | Alain Prost-87 pts | P2 | 2.3 | 0% |
| Williams1992 | Riccardo Patrese+4 pts | P2.3 | 4.4 | 15% |
| Ferrari2002 | Rubens Barrichello+4 pts | P1.5 | 7.8 | 55% |
| Red Bull2013 | Mark Webber+13 pts | P1.3 | 8.9 | 70% |
| Mercedes2016 | Lewis Hamilton-107 pts | P2 | 3.8 | 0% |
| Red Bull2023 | Sergio Perez+24 pts | P1.3 | 12.2 | 75% |
| Cadillac2026 · 11th on the grid | Valtteri Bottas+15 pts | P10 | 0 | 0% |
The only one who beats him is Lewis Hamilton in the 2016 Mercedes: 107 points clear over a full season.
Rating by season
- First season
- 79 1995
- Peak
- 82 1997
- 2008
- 74 Red Bull
14 seasons in the database, from 1995 to 2008. Our own rating, from 50 to 99.
Teams
Tags
Best year
2001
What would David Coulthard have achieved with a different car or in a different era?
Hypotheses featuring David Coulthard
Related drivers
His team-mates
7 team-mates across 15 seasons. When both finished the race, Coulthard was ahead in 39 of 109; on the grid he started ahead in 85 of 247.
| Year | Team-mate | In the race | On the grid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Damon HillWilliams · 8 races | 0-4 | 0-8 |
| 1995 | Damon HillWilliams · 17 races | 2-3 | 8-9 |
| 1996 | Mika HäkkinenMcLaren · 16 races | 2-3 | 4-12 |
| 1997 | Mika HäkkinenMcLaren · 17 races | 3-2 | 6-11 |
| 1998 | Mika HäkkinenMcLaren · 16 races | 1-9 | 3-13 |
| 1999 | Mika HäkkinenMcLaren · 16 races | 2-3 | 3-13 |
| 2000 | Mika HäkkinenMcLaren · 17 races | 4-9 | 7-10 |
| 2001 | Mika HäkkinenMcLaren · 17 races | 6-1 | 8-9 |
| 2002 | Kimi RäikkönenMcLaren · 17 races | 1-2 | 7-10 |
| 2003 | Kimi RäikkönenMcLaren · 16 races | 1-8 | 6-10 |
| 2004 | Kimi RäikkönenMcLaren · 18 races | 2-7 | 6-12 |
| 2005 | Christian KlienRed Bull · 15 races | 7-2 | 7-8 |
| 2005 | Vitantonio LiuzziRed Bull · 4 races | 1-1 | 4-0 |
| 2006 | Christian KlienRed Bull · 15 races | 3-4 | 9-6 |
| 2006 | Robert DoornbosRed Bull · 3 races | 1-0 | 2-1 |
| 2007 | Mark WebberRed Bull · 17 races | 1-3 | 2-15 |
| 2008 | Mark WebberRed Bull · 18 races | 2-9 | 3-15 |
The first number is always Coulthard's. A team-mate is whoever started the same race for the same team. "In the race" only counts races both finished, because a retirement says nothing about who was quicker. "On the grid" is the starting position, with penalties already applied.
Compare Coulthard with another driver
Titles, wins, poles and podiums side by side, against any of the 789 drivers in history.
Keep reading
Where David Coulthard comes up in what we have measured, with our own numbers.
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