Dennis Pays Tribute to 'Gentleman' Coulthard

McLaren team boss Ron Dennis paid tribute to David Coulthard, who is leaving the team after nine seasons and is yet to secure another drive for next season.

Juan Pablo Montoya will replace Coulthard at McLaren, and Dennis, who took the decision to bring in Montoya in place of Coulthard, has nothing but praise for the Scot and said: "His results in the car are apparent, they are a matter of record.

"It's also very apparent to anybody who has worked with him that he's a true gentleman and he has been a fantastic ambassador to our team and to the sport in general.

"When you look back on his years with us I think I can count on one hand the times I have seen him annoyed and I can't ever remember him losing his temper. He is a tremendous, talented, well-rounded racing driver."

Scot Coulthard, 33, has been on the Formula One grid since the start of 1994 and his best World Championship finish came as runner-up to Michael Schumacher in 2001.

Coulthard's disappointing 11th place finish in Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos could effectively be the end with realistic options for 2005 limited to the only competitive seat available with Williams.

But the 13-time Grand Prix winner, who also runs a hotel business, remains optimistic that this year does not spell the end and said he still has the desire to stay with the Grand Prix circus.

Coulthard said: "I don't require a job in the sense that you need a job to put bread on the table. I've been fortunate in my career that that is not the motivation, the motivation is to continue racing."

Coulthard's record stands up to many. Of the drivers in 2004, he is second to only World Champion Michael Schumacher in terms of victories, the first of which came with Williams in 1995 before his switch to McLaren the following season.

In his nine seasons with McLaren he has finished on the podium in one of every three Grands Prix but his last victory came at the start of the 2003 season when he led home his future replacement Montoya in Australia.