David Coulthard believes he might have quit Formula One at least a season
too soon.
The Scot, 38, contested nearly 250 races over 17 seasons, before retiring
at the end of 2008.
But despite the success of his successor Sebastian Vettel, Coulthard told
Scotland's Daily Record that he thinks he could have handled the pace of
2009.
"In such a high-pressure sport you have to be able to recover and come
back and deliver each time. I questioned whether I still had the energy to
do that," he said.
However, this year's regulations are demanding less of the drivers: for
example, in previous years a three-week calendar gap would have meant
incessant on-track running, but the class of 2009 is instead enjoying an
extended holiday at present due to the total ban on in-season testing.
"As it happens, the way the regulations changed I almost certainly would
have had the energy to handle a season," said Coulthard.
But the winner of 13 grands prix insists he does not regret hanging up his
helmet before he was physically incapable of being a top race driver.
"I felt that Red Bull had good alternatives and that it would be better to
recognise ahead of time than recognise after or be the last to know it was
time to go," he said.
Coulthard now travels to every race as an expert pundit for British
television, and he admits to enjoying witnessing first-hand the fruits of
his four years in the Red Bull cockpit since the team's inception.
"There are middle grid teams that stay in the middle grid but along with
other people I helped influence the positive development of Red Bull and
they've gone forward and progressed each year," said Coulthard, now a
consultant to the Milton-Keynes based outfit.
