David Coulthard

The legendary Formula One pundit gives us the inside track on the 2025 grid, his predictions for the future and why he has no interest in ever racing cars again...

- REILLY SULLIVAN

A 13-time Grand Prix winner and 2001 World Drivers Championship runner-up, David Coulthard is a racing legend in his own right - and one of the sport's most in-demand pundits. “I did OK but thank you very much,” he says humbly after we remind him of his many achievements on the grid racing for McLaren, Williams and Red Bull. Post-racing, Coulthard has become an international motorsport statesman of sorts, which brings us to this interview.

In town for the Qatar Grand Prix, we sit down with the iconic Scot aboard the Celestyal Journey cruise ship in Doha's port. Celestyal has just launched an annual F1-themed cruise around the Middle East with a stop at the Abu Dhabi race and hired David to speak in front of travel operators and greet Sheiks. It's the kind of gig Coulthard does a lot and combines his knack for F1 commentary with his winning ability to charm the public.

Hey, David, welcome aboard. What inspired you to take this gig?

I am going to be doing my first cruise, and my parents have cruised for 25-30 years, so to have the opportunity to come on and look around the ship is great.

You raced in the first Grand Prix in the Middle East 20 years ago and now there's four races in the region. How important is it for the sport to look at new markets?

We are a true World Championship and to truly reflect that World Championship we should be in all continents. The latest target has been Africa, and Lewis has been at the forefront of that - I've done a number of events in Africa. There's talk of one in Rwanda or returning to South Africa in the future. Then we'd cover the majority of the world and give everyone an opportunity to experience Formula One.