Former Formula One driver David Coulthard retains his place in the Mercedes-Benz line-up for the 2012 DTM season. The 40-year-old Scot is about to start his third year in the DTM as a member of Team Mücke Motorsport. Coulthard was Formula One championship runner-up in 2001. He won a total of 13 races during his F1 career, twelve of which were for McLaren Mercedes, including the first victory of the new Silver Arrows era on 9th March 1997 in Melbourne (Australia).
When he made his DTM debut in 2010, Coulthard quickly established himself as a fan favourite in the paddock. He scored his first DTM point in the 2010 season finale in Shanghai, where he also set fastest lap.
Prior to the DTM phase of his racing career, Coulthard competed in 246 Formula One races between 1994 and 2008. Twelve of his 13 Grand Prix victories were during his time at McLaren-Mercedes, with whom he also won the constructors’ title in 1998 and finished runner-up in the drivers’ championship in 2001. Since 2009, Coulthard has attended all Formula One races as a member of the BBC television team covering F1. His expert opinions are rated highly by viewers and professional colleagues alike.
Coulthard is one of the founding ambassadors for Wings for Life. The Scot has worked unstintingly for the charity foundation over a number of years, spreading the message worldwide and helping to generate donations to finance its research projects. Founded in 2004 by Heinz Kinigadner and Dietrich Mateschitz, this registered non-profit foundation promotes research into finding a cure for paraplegia caused by injuries to the spinal cord. With the agreement of sponsor Deutsche Post, Mercedes-Benz has made available advertising space on the bodywork of Coulthard’s car to draw media attention to Wings for Life and to its driver’s role as ambassador for the organisation, thereby helping boost fund-raising impact.
In his first two years in the DTM, Coulthard drove the AMG Mercedes C-Class, the most successful car in series history with 85 victories from 159 races.
David Coulthard: “In 2012, the DTM enters a new era. New cars, new technical regulations and a third manufacturer promise to make the championship more exciting than ever before. That’s why I’m looking forward even more to my third year with Mercedes-Benz in this highly competitive championship. The popularity of the DTM and the huge enthusiasm of the fans make this yet another excellent platform to draw attention to Wings for Life, the charity organisation for which I have been such a committed advocate over many years. I now have two years of DTM experience to draw on. My first impressions of our DTM Mercedes AMG C‑Coupé are very positive – especially the paddle shift on the steering wheel which I know very well from my time in Formula One. In the past two years, I’ve had to learn a lot about the engineering, the driving technique and about DTM racing in general. I know my team well now and, after 15 years as a member of the Mercedes-Benz family, I feel really at home. In 2012, I want to continue my progress and post some respectable results.”
Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “David Coulthard is one of the best-known and most popular drivers in the DTM. He has played a prominent role in Mercedes-Benz motorsport history since winning the first race with the then brand-new McLaren Mercedes Silver Arrow in the 1997 Australian Grand Prix. David went on to record a dozen more Formula One victories with us, including several Monaco GPs and also the classic race at Spa in Belgium. In 2001, he was Formula One World Championship runner-up with McLaren Mercedes. In 2012, David Coulthard will be contesting his third DTM season, and this time he has set his sights even higher. Last year, there were several races in which David was amongst the very fastest in the field over the entire distance. As soon as David can turn this speed into better grid positions and quicker starts, he will be a real contender. And this is our shared goal for 2012.”
