Coulthard tight lipped on future
David Coulthard has insisted that it is too early to say for definite whether he will be picked by Red Bull Racing to lead its team next year - despite an encouraging first test with the outfit at Jerez in Spain this week

The former McLaren driver, who is believed to have reached an agreement to race for RBR next year although he has yet to sign a contract, said that there would likely be no developments relating to his own future until the start of next year.
Speaking exclusively to autosport.com about the test and his future, Coulthard said: "There are a bunch of good people here who have been given a lifeline by Red Bull - and I am impressed with the very realistic approach of Dietrich Mateschitz (Red Bull boss) to this new venture.
"I am satisfied with how these two days have gone but as to what is going to happen, nothing is planned until the new year. We will have to see how it is going to progress and at the moment I cannot say anything more.
"It was great to drive a grand prix car and great to work with a bunch of highly motivated people. Like I said, we have a very realistic approach to this matter."
Although RBR appears to be Coulthard's only option to race in F1 next year, he has made it clear that he will not beg the team to give him a drive.
"I am not into lobbying," he said. "I know what I can bring. I know what it needs to win a grand prix. I know what it means to be in a championship winning car. So let's see."
Coulthard's hopes of persuading Mateschitz will be boosted by the fact that Christian Klien, who is tipped for one of the seats at RBR, desperately wants the Scotsman to be his team-mate in 2005.
"Things look good for me but nothing is signed yet," said Klien. "But if I am around and David gets signed then it will be so good because he has so much experience. It is something we need and I can learn so much from him."
Klien will be joined by Neel Jani for testing on Friday.
Latest news
Horner admits Red Bull’s real RB19 will be ‘somewhat different’
Red Bull boss Christian Horner says the real RB19 that will appear in Formula 1 testing in Bahrain later this month will be ‘somewhat different'.
Horner hints at closer links between Mercedes and Williams F1 teams
Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner has hinted that there could be a closer relationship between the Mercedes and Williams Formula 1 teams in the wake of James Vowles’s move.
Ford remains committed to WRC amid F1 return
Ford has stated that it remains committed to its programme in the World Rally Championship following confirmation of its return to Formula 1 as an engine supplier from 2026.
Dixon: Ganassi found two "big things" to improve IndyCar form
Six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon says Chip Ganassi Racing has focused on improving its road course form after inconsistencies last season, and believes there has been breakthroughs for 2023.
Assessing Hamilton's remarkable decade as a Mercedes F1 driver
Many doubted Lewis Hamilton’s move from McLaren to Mercedes for the 2013 Formula 1 season. But the journey he’s been on since has taken the Briton to new heights - and to a further six world championship titles
Why new look Haas is a litmus test for Formula 1’s new era
OPINION: With teams outside the top three having struggled in Formula 1 in recent seasons, the rules changes introduced in 2022 should have more of an impact this season. How well Haas does, as the poster child for the kind of team that F1 wanted to be able to challenge at the front, is crucial
The Mercedes F1 pressure changes under 10 years of Toto Wolff
OPINION: Although the central building blocks for Mercedes’ recent, long-lasting Formula 1 success were installed before he joined the team, Toto Wolff has been instrumental in ensuring it maximised its finally-realised potential after years of underachievement. The 10-year anniversary of Wolff joining Mercedes marks the perfect time to assess his work
The all-French F1 partnership that Ocon and Gasly hope to emulate
Alpine’s signing of Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon revives memories of a famous all-French line-up, albeit in the red of Ferrari, for BEN EDWARDS. Can the former AlphaTauri man's arrival help the French team on its path back to winning ways in a tribute act to the Prancing Horse's title-winning 1983?
How do the best races of F1 2022 stack up to 2021?
OPINION: A system to score all the grands prix from the past two seasons produces some interesting results and sets a standard that 2023 should surely exceed
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
The potential-laden F1 car that Ferrari neglected
The late Mauro Forghieri played a key role in Ferrari’s mid-1960s turnaround, says STUART CODLING, and his pretty, intricate 1512 was among the most evocative cars of the 1.5-litre era. But a victim of priorities as Formula 1 was deemed less lucrative than success in sportscars, its true potential was never seen in period
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.