Despite the recent buy-out of the team by Red Bull Racing, the management reshuffle that has led to Christian Horner taking over as sporting director and the fact that his team-mate has yet to be confirmed, Coulthard is convinced that the only way to make the package work will be if everyone pulls together.

"It is important that the 'team' aspect is shown at Red Bull Racing," he said on the main Autosport Central Stage. "Yes, we [the drivers] want to beat each other on the racetrack, but that should be where it ends. If you are not working for the team and people are not prepared to give 100 percent effort then it is not going to work."

And in an indirect reference to the troubles that Williams has encountered in recent seasons with a feud between Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher, and tension between the drivers and team management, Coulthard made it clear that such negative situations were detrimental to on-track performance.

"You see it in bigger teams where the drivers feud and they argue with the team. That for sure takes energy and focus away from the job.

"You have got to use Michael Schumacher as the blueprint for success. It is not by accident that he is the most successful driver in F1 and hopefully I can bring some stability to the team in a period that has been quite unstable."

Coulthard is refusing to set any specific targets for the year ahead and admits that the most important aspect of the season ahead will be in laying the foundations for the future rather than gunning for instant results.

"You go into a year with a team like McLaren-Mercedes expecting to have a car quick enough for front-row qualifying and winning grands prix," he continued. "We don't go into this year with Red Bull Racing expecting to be on pole and getting wins - although of course the dream has to be to aim for that.

"We have a big challenge. Works needs to be done and there needs to be investment for the future. I am part of a team environment, I love the challenge of grand prix racing and it just keeps coming - every two you weeks you have to perform. As I say, I love the challenge of F1 and I didn't want to give that up when I still felt I was able to do it."