Eleven weeks before he starts his new job at the Australian Grand Prix as commentator with the BBC, David Coulthard has given Formula One fans permission to tell him directly how he’s doing.
Speaking at the annual Autosport International Show in Birmingham, the 37-year-old from Twynolm — acknowledged for being forthright with his views — offered an open invitation to his critics.
“I’ll not be racing this year but thankfully I’ll still be involved in the sport, with my consultancy with Red Bull and through the BBC,” the Scot said today. “It’s a new experience for me to comment on F1. I hope I do a good job, and I hope I reflect F1 in the way true fans want to hear about it.
“If I don’t, they should write to me in Monaco and complain; please don’t write to the BBC and complain, because I want to get it right. You can tell me. You just need to put ‘DC, Monaco’ on the envelope and it will get to me, because Monaco is not such a big place.
“But I want the real fans tell me what they think, tell me what they’d like to know about, and if you don’t like the angle that I comment on F1 from, then if I agree with with them, I’ll change it. If I think they’re barking up the wrong tree of course, I have to follow my instincts.”
Coulthard, who retired at the end of last season after a career which included 246 grands prix, 13 wins, 62 podiums, 12 pole positions, 37 front row starts, 18 fastest laps and 535 world championship points, will join Martin Brundle as part of the BBC commentary team.
JM