Three straight retirements to open the season did not bode well as the RB3 proved fragile, but Coulthard opened his account with fifth in Spain and held the points advantage over his Australian team-mate for the rest of the year, even if Webber was clearly quicker - and luckier - in qualifying. Another fifth, in the European GP, was bettered by fourth in the appalling conditions at Fuji and followed by eighth in China as DC ended the year in top ten overall.
His swansong year has not been an easy one so far though. Despite driving a typical Adrian Newey-designed chassis, Coulthard has spent the year playing catch-up to team-mate Webber, who has scored in six of the eight races this year. Nonetheless, Coulthard is still the only
Red Bull driver to score a podium this season after he showed his experience and tenacity on the way to third place in Canada.
Whether that turns out to be the final time Coulthard steps on the rostrum remains to be seen, but a good result at the British Grand Prix he has won twice would certainly be as poignant a moment as you could get for one of Britain's favourite sports stars…
