David Coulthard

David Coulthard is a British former Formula One racing driver, currently serving as a presenter, commentator, and journalist. He made a significant mark in motorsport as the runner-up in the 2001 Formula One World Drivers' Championship while driving for McLaren. Since retiring from racing, Coulthard has transitioned into a prominent media figure, joining Viaplay in 2022 as a reporter and expert commentator for Formula One race weekends. Additionally, he continues to drive Red Bull’s F1 cars at promotional events and serves as a co-commentator for Channel 4’s Formula 1 coverage in the UK. He has also been a key figure in the racing community, elected as president of the British Racing Drivers' Club, which owns the Silverstone Circuit, in 2019.

Coulthard's racing career began at age eleven in karting, where he quickly demonstrated his potential. He was the inaugural recipient of the McLaren/Autosport Young Driver of the Year award, which paved the way for his progression to car racing in the British Formula Ford Championship and the Formula 3000 series. Coulthard entered Formula One in 1994 with Williams F1, replacing the late Ayrton Senna, and secured his first Grand Prix victory in Portugal. His move to McLaren in 1996 marked a period of notable success, including multiple Grand Prix victories and three Hawthorn Memorial Trophy awards in 1998, 2000, and 2001. In 2005, Coulthard joined Red Bull Racing, where he not only achieved the team’s first podium finish in 2006 but also played a crucial role in their development as a testing and development consultant post-retirement. He concluded his Formula One racing career in 2008, with his final race car adorned in the colors of "Wings for Life," a charity for spinal cord injuries. Coulthard continued to compete in the Race of Champions, finishing as runner-up at Wembley and later winning the competition in 2014 and 2018.

Beyond racing, Coulthard has established himself as a key figure in sports broadcasting. After retiring, he joined the BBC as a commentator and pundit for their Formula One coverage and later moved to Channel 4 in 2016. He is also a co-founder of Whisper, one of Europe’s fastest-growing media production companies. Coulthard regularly writes columns for The Daily Telegraph and BBC Sport and in 2023, expanded his media presence by launching the podcast "Formula For Success" with Eddie Jordan. Coulthard's impact on motorsport extends beyond his racing and media career. He is the non-Executive Chairman of the W Series, the world’s first professional all-women single-seater racing series, and serves as an ambassador for the spinal injuries charity, Wings for Life. In 2010, he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to motorsport. His life and career are chronicled in his autobiography, "It is What It Is".