Former Red Bull driver claims he never ‘loved being a racing driver’

David Coulthard had 246 race starts in F1 and bagged 62 podiums with 13 race victories.

Former Red Bull driver claims he never ‘loved being a racing driver’

David Coulthard (Via Red Bull)

David Coulthard had a long career in Formula 1. The Scottish driver raced in fifteen F1 seasons with 1995 being his first full-time season with Williams. Coulthard had a long stint with McLaren before he helped lay down the foundations of Red Bull Racing as its lead driver. DC won 13 over the course of his F1 career and bagged 62 podiums. However, the former Red Bull driver has revealed that being a racing driver wasn’t what made him happy.

Coulthard claimed that he loved his life. However, the 52-year-old had doubts if he had ever loved being a racing driver. DC highlighted that life was much more than racing behind the wheel. F1 drivers have a hectic schedule as they need to travel to multiple countries within a season. Moreover, the constant state of travel often compromises the personal life of an athlete as they can’t spend more time with their family.

I mean, I love life, but I’m not sure I ever loved being a racing car driver.
David Coulthard told The Telegraph
YouTube video

David Coulthard recalled his childhood days. The Scottish driver would head out with his family to race on weekends while having a normal routine on weekdays. This allowed Coulthard to understand that one doesn’t need to reside in Monaco or travel across the globe to be happy. Rather DC insisted that happiness was a ‘self-declared’ thing.

FS Video
I was lucky to grow up in a loving family and we went racing together, but the rest of my week would be normal life, so I’ve always known that you don’t need to be a grand prix driver, living in Monaco and travelling the world to be happy. Happiness is a self-declared thing.

F1 drivers set to have a hectic campaign this season

The Formula 1 calendar has expanded in recent years. The sport will have a record-breaking 24 rounds this year. Moreover, the 2024 season would even have the most number of triple headers. This could have a massive toll on personnel across the paddock including drivers and staff members.

Fernando Alonso, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
Fernando Alonso, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton (via IMAGO)

David Coulthard’s former teammate Mika Hakkinen has raised concerns over the calendar. Hakkinen has even mentioned that the media would have an even worse time trying to cover the entire season. Moreover, team bosses have acknowledged that a rotation system must be implemented for team members to ensure that everyone stays fit for the year.

Certainly, Formula 1 is set to have a challenging 2024 season. Drivers, team members, and even pundits will have a tough time traveling the entire season. This could potentially lead to exhaustion in the latter half of the season as members fail to get adequate time with their friends and family. Although it remains to be seen how things pan out in the upcoming F1 season.

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