David Coulthard is one of the drivers who helped lay the foundation for Red Bull Racing in Formula 1. Recruited by Christian Horner in 2005 after leaving McLaren, Coulthard raced for the fledgling team until 2008, partnering with Christian Klien, Vitantonio Liuzzi, Robert Doornbos, and Mark Webber. While the Bulls were still a midfield outfit, Coulthard scored the team’s first-ever podium in Monaco 2006 and finished his Red Bull tenure with 71 appearances and two podiums.

Even 14 years after retiring from competitive racing, Coulthard remains closely connected to the team. As a pundit and ambassador, he frequently participates in marketing events and show runs, keeping his driving skills sharp enough to turn heads.

The Legendary Lap at Imola

In 2022, Coulthard and Max Verstappen each took a V8-era Red Bull for a single flying lap at Imola as part of a documentary shoot. At 51 years old, Coulthard admitted he was five seconds slower than Verstappen. While that might seem like a huge gap, Coulthard considers it a strong performance given his age, lack of race fitness, and time away from the cockpit.

“I should say I was 51 at the time, I hadn’t raced Imola in 15 years… I’m giving you all the excuses!” he joked on the Formula for Success podcast. “His one flying lap versus my one flying lap, he was five seconds faster. I was happy! I don’t race anymore, therefore your mind goes into a different place, I don’t have the need to hang it all out. If I were to jump in a car now, maybe I could get that down to a couple of seconds off the pace, but there is no way I could do the same lap times as I used to do.”

This glimpse of Coulthard’s skill reminds fans why he won 13 Grands Prix during his career—a tally only surpassed by Stirling Moss (16) among drivers who never became champion.

The Red Bull No.2 Curse

Coulthard also reflected on why he never became a title contender, noting that teammate Mika Häkkinen had the edge in qualifying during their time together at McLaren. Today, a similar pattern is emerging at Red Bull. Yuki Tsunoda, Verstappen’s teammate, has struggled to match the Dutchman’s pace. Entering the 2025 summer break, Tsunoda had accumulated 10 points or fewer—the first time a Red Bull driver has had such a low tally since Coulthard’s departure in 2008.

On average, Tsunoda is 0.6 seconds off Verstappen in qualifying. In a tightly packed field, this is enough to leave him battling in the lower midfield, highlighting the challenges of being the second driver in a top-tier team. Coulthard’s reflections underline just how difficult it is to match the pace of a generational talent like Verstappen, even for someone who once drove for Red Bull’s first-ever F1 team.