Rugged Coulthard Makes Fresh Start at Red Bull

Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya moved to McLaren and lost weight. Briton David Coulthard joined Red Bull and stopped shaving.

However, the 33-year-old Scot bristles at the suggestion that his rugged new look is a result of trading the more corporate McLaren surroundings for Red Bull's young and trendy environment.

"A little bit of facial hair is hardly a significant change of image," he said before his team's debut in Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

"As for Juan Pablo's weight loss, I've been the same weight my whole career. Obviously when you work with a different group of people, different organisations have a different feel and a different flavour to them.

"I just want to get on, do my job and enjoy myself. This is my life. I'm not saving my life up to live it after I finish in Formula One," he said.

"I'm long past the point of trying to please others because ultimately if I make myself happy I know I'm doing a good job and then the rest will follow."

Coulthard is the number one driver in the team that has replaced Jaguar and could prove the surprise package of the season.

Ferrari's World Champion Michael Schumacher thinks as much and so does Frank Williams, who gave Coulthard his Formula One debut in 1994.

Podium Hope

Coulthard, who has said the idea of Red Bull winning races is a pipe dream, thinks a podium finish could be on the cards this year if everything falls into place.

"If you go back to Red Bull in its former guise as Jaguar, they had a podium and obviously much water has gone under the bridge since then," he said.

"I think the team has been strengthened a lot over the winter and the initial testing of the car has proved to be reliable.

"I don't think it's beyond the realms of possibility to get big points but obviously it's going to be very difficult and the immediate goal is to get the car to the finish."

The Scot, winner of 13 races to date, is 11 years older than Austrian teammate Christian Klien and also older than 31-year-old team boss Christian Horner but says age is irrelevant.

"I always feel as if I'm being put into the old and untrendy category," said Coulthard.

"To be perfectly honest, I really don't give a shit about the age thing but I do care very much about what Red Bull are contributing to sports worldwide and the spirit in which they go about it.

"I wouldn't want to turn back the clock. I'm having a much better time now with the knowledge and experience I have than I was having when I was 22 or 24," he added.