DC: I'm unlikely to win again.
David Coulthard has admitted that his decision to retire was taken some months ago, and reflects the fact that he has accepted that his best days in Formula One are behind him.
The Scot announced his plan to call time on his 14-year career at the end of the season on the eve of his home grand prix at
Silverstone, but insisted that it had not been a snap decision. Indeed, he has dropped several hints over recent weeks, and has been hotly-tipped to join manager Martin Brundle as part of the
BBC's coverage of
Formula One, which starts in 2009.
Coulthard has revealed that he will not dispense entirely with driving F1 cars, as he will remain as a development consultant to the Red Bull Racing team - which is expected to announce
Sebastian Vettel alongside the re-signed
Mark Webber for 2009 - but accepts that he is unlikely to see the top step of the podium again.
"There is not one morning you wake up, if you are looking for a date," he said in response to questions about the timing of his decision, "I have had a growing feeling that this year is the right time to make it my last year in
F1.
"I am enjoying very much the challenge and the racing, even though I had a few incidents at the beginning of the year. The thought process was there before then. I am still competitive with the machinery I have got [but], after 15 years, I am clearly not going to battle for a world championship and am unlikely to win another grand prix unless something remarkable happens this year.
"I feel fulfilled in the role I have played at
Red Bull. I took that job a few years [ago] and I have helped the team grow. I have seen the team move forward and be taken seriously, I believe, in the paddock - not that they weren't taken seriously before. I just think it is a good time. I will be 38 next year and nothing lasts forever. I have enjoyed my racing and now is the right time."
