Horner praises 'gentleman' Coulthard

"Working with David has been an absolute pleasure and his contribution to the team over the past four seasons has been significant," said Horner in a statement released after Coulthard, 37, confirmed he will stop racing in Formula One after 15 seasons in the sport.

"He is a consummate professional and I think that one of the key elements to the length of his career is the dedication he has applied and the commitment he has shown to the team.

"He has demonstrated that he is a real team player, a fact reinforced by the statistic that he has only driven for two other F1 teams in his career. To date, he has won thirteen grands prix and there could have been many more if you count the near misses and the ones he gifted to other drivers.

"He scored our first point, our first podium and was the first of our drivers to lead a grand prix.

"Above all, he is a gentleman and I regard him as a good friend. Within the team there's a huge amount of respect for David.

"His retirement brings to a close not just his career as a grand prix racing driver but also a chapter in the history of Formula One, if one considers the changes the sport has been through while he has been involved with it."

Coulthard, a 13-time grand prix winner, will continue to work for Red Bull Racing as a consultant.

"Red Bull Racing will still be utilising his services and he will on occasion drive the car in test sessions for us so that we can draw upon his vast experience and knowledge," added Horner.

"He will be involved as a consultant to the team and to the technical group as we look to extract the maximum from his considerable experience of Formula One. I don't think he will be struggling to fill his time."