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New York Times
3 days ago
- Automotive
- New York Times
F1's high-speed middle finger: David Coulthard relives his clash with Michael Schumacher
David Coulthard was seething. He knew his car could — should — have won the French Grand Prix, but Michael Schumacher had done it again. The great, aggressive German chopped across the Scotsman's bows at the start of the race in Magny‑Cours. And Coulthard was bottled up behind Rubens Barrichello in the other Ferrari, who had one job: to slow the chasing McLarens. Advertisement But Coulthard wouldn't be denied. He followed Barrichello closely, then overtook with cunning racecraft. By this point, Schumacher was seven seconds ahead. Coulthard chased, stopped for fuel and tyres, and chased some more. Finally, he earned a chance at retribution. The McLaren driver got a run down Magny‑Cours' long back straight, but Schumacher knew what was coming. He took the hairpin's inside line. With Coulthard looking for a repeat cutback pass after his Barrichello success, the legendary Ferrari driver held firm — and shoved his silver rival wide. Coulthard's response — at around 40 miles per hour — was immediate. 'I gave him the bird, because I was so p––––d off,' Coulthard told The Athletic at the 2025 British Grand Prix, just a few days past the 25th anniversary of the clash. These days, Coulthard is a Formula One TV presenter, Red Bull ambassador, and current president of the British Racing Drivers' Club, which owns Silverstone Circuit. He remembers the race, which he went on to win, as 'one of my career-defining moments' and 'one of my best weekends.' The Briton scored 13 F1 race wins in a career that spanned 247 starts between 1994 and 2008. He ultimately finished third in 2000, where Schumacher, after years of trying, finally defeated the McLaren drivers, led by double world champion Mika Hakkinen. Coulthard went one better in 2001, but never took the crown. 'OK, I never won the world championship, but there were moments where I was, to be arrogant, world-class against world-class performers,' said Coulthard, speaking ahead of the wild, wet 2025 British Grand Prix won by current McLaren driver Lando Norris. 'What they were was consistently world-class. And I dipped in and out of it. My performances were like that, so that's why the result books reflect the drivers at that time. Mika was consistently quick. Michael was consistently quick. They got the world championships.' Advertisement Coulthard should have started the 2000 French GP from pole position, but was instead second. Fuel pump problems meant he and Hakkinen swapped across McLaren's three cars in qualifying — allowed under the rules back then — with the spare known as a 'T-car.' Schumacher, meanwhile, had claimed pole after diligently working to improve his car's set-up and handling, then nailing his best lap. 'I remember waking early. I'd stayed just outside the track in my motorhome, I got on the rowing machine, did half an hour, and I just was so confident even though I was second on the grid,' Coulthard said of his feelings pre-race. 'It was really a bizarre qualifying session, but I was still confident on a track that I had been strong on before. Michael did the big chop on the run to the first corner that allowed Rubens to go round the outside. So, now I'm p–––– off. I was angry. I had to fight to come back, overtake Rubens, get on to Michael.' Coulthard called his first move against Schumacher 'a bit half-hearted, but he did what he does, which is going to push you wide.' Schumacher would go on to become F1's first seven-time world champion, but at the time of this clash, the German had two titles (and none for Ferrari) alongside a fearsome reputation shaped by the events of Adelaide 1994, when he collided with Damon Hill and beat him to the title with both retiring. Then there was the final race of the 1997 season in Jerez, where another controversial collision led to Jacques Villeneuve winning the world championship, with Schumacher stripped of second place. Coulthard's immediate sweary response at Magny-Cours generated headlines. Autosport magazine declared the following week: 'The Only Way is Up (yours, Michael).' Although one of its readers was distinctly unimpressed and felt the need to 'express my disgust… my daughters, aged six and eight, and I watch the grands prix together, and if I wanted them to witness such obscene gestures, I would take them to a football match. Michael Schumacher's sportsmanship might not be the best, but not even he has stooped this low.' Advertisement The Associated Press report said Coulthard was 'like a highway driver with a case of road rage,' and had 'greeted his Formula One rival with a clenched fist and an obscene gesture.' Coulthard apologized for his actions afterwards. 'And it was completely absurd that I'd think he would see me giving him the middle finger, but it was just the frustration of, 'Buddy, you can try that, but I'm still coming by it one way or the other.' I was convinced I was winning that grand prix, so it was just a question of where I was going to get past him.' Schumacher told reporters that day, 'If he doesn't like it, he can go somewhere else… It's normal practice; I remember in Malaysia (1999), he overtook me and pushed me to the outside. I don't believe I complained a lot.' Schumacher has not been seen in public since he suffered a severe brain injury while skiing in December 2013. Coulthard's moment came just seven laps later that day in France. He feigned another look at the Adelaide hairpin's outside, then dived to the inside when Schumacher moved to cover his first position. The Ferrari stayed alongside through the corner, and they bashed wheels on the exit. 'It was just a race of commitment. I was committed, and if he turned, we were going to crash because I had the overspeed,' Coulthard said. 'But I know that you can't watch your mirrors the whole time, so I felt that he thought that I'd be too far back, or I wouldn't try that based on what happened before. 'But I did everything right. And there were a few moments where I was able to do that sort of wheel-to-wheel racing with Michael and come away with the result.' Schumacher would later retire from the 2000 French GP when his engine failed and billowed smoke. Twenty-five years on, does Coulthard still feel he was right to apologize for his gestures? 'I apologized afterwards because I remembered there was kids watching and all that sort of thing. I wasn't sort of inciting violence or anything, but it wasn't very sporting, and I always kind of prided myself on being a sportsman. It is what it is. Passions run high. The frustration was there.' Advertisement The incident has parallels with today's racing. Schumacher's move was typical of his style, continuing the tradition established by the very aggressive Ayrton Senna. Four-time world champion Max Verstappen's uncompromising racing in this era garners similar debate. In shoving Coulthard wide at the Adelaide hairpin, Schumacher's driving is actually codified these days in F1's 'Driving Standards Guidelines.' A driver has to have their 'front axle ahead of the front axle of the other car at the apex' of a corner. And, if they don't, the driver on the inside can run them fully wide and take all the space. The onus is on the driver attempting to live by the sword. However, at the turn of the century, not only were such moves largely unregulated, but aggression was the exception, not the norm. 'You've got to live for your time, haven't you? That was that time, and so I'm happy,' Coulthard said. One of the most striking things about the French GP saga is how visible Coulthard's gestures were from the cockpit of his McLaren MP4/15. In those days, before many of the safety systems used in modern F1 car design had been established, the drivers' helmets were fully exposed, and often their hands were too when turning. Since 2018, the halo cockpit protection system has better cocooned the drivers, along with other developments, such as much higher cockpit sides — a design that followed Coulthard's crash with Alex Wurz at the 2007 Australian GP. In modern F1, it's therefore even harder to see such driver emotion behind the wheel, which is a longstanding issue. An exception is Liam Lawson giving Sergio Pérez the finger at the 2024 Mexican GP, after they'd clashed earlier at the latter's home race. Visible outbursts are rare these days, though verbal ones are commonplace on the team radio broadcasts that weren't aired in 2000. Advertisement Under the rule of FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem since late 2021, driver expression has also been curtailed. The most stringent restrictions — where drivers faced fines of up to €120,000 for repeat offenses — were only rowed back on in May after much debate. 'Maybe they're all told, 'If you do anything, you get fined.' So they get on the radio,' Coulthard said of this. 'And we've obviously had a bit of that, people getting upset and swearing on the radio. 'Heat of the moment, we want to see passion, and people show passion in different ways. I want to see that people care. Certain drivers don't look to be that bothered if you have a good day or a bad day. Certain drivers, you can see that. 'It does matter. Because sport is an escape from everyday lives. You feel for (athletes). You're with them.' (Top image: John Marsh/EMPICS/Getty Images)
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
All3Media owner RedBird IMI among suitors for Coulthard-owned TV firm
The owner of the television producer behind Squid Game: The Challenge and Call The Midwife is among the suitors circling Whisper Group, the firm founded by broadcaster Jake Humphrey and former racing driver David Coulthard. Sky News has learnt that RedBird IMI has tabled an offer for Whisper Group, which has been exploring a sale for several months. Sources said the auction process was at a critical stage with a buyer potentially being selected within days. Money latest: RedBird IMI, which had hoped to take full control of The Daily Telegraph before a change of media ownership law meant that its Abu Dhabi state involvement had to be curtailed, already owns All3Media, the TV production giant behind a string of hit shows. However, its interest in Whisper is said to have been expressed through RedBird IMI rather than being conducted using All3Media as the acquirer. RedBird is now in the advanced stages of taking control of the Telegraph newspaper titles, with IMI restricted to owning a maximum 15% stake. The identities of the other bidders for Whisper were unclear on Thursday evening. Whisper Group was established in 2010 and won a BAFTA for its coverage of the Women's Euros in 2022. It is working with advisers at KPMG on a deal. Whisper is already 30%-owned by Sony Pictures Television, which acquired the stake in 2020. Sony replaced Channel 4's Indie Growth Fund as an investor in the business. A majority of the shares in Whisper are owned by its founders and management team. The company is best-known for its sports productions, and is responsible for Channel 4's Formula One coverage as well as international cricket, boxing and the Paralympics. Whisper employs about 300 people, and has operations in London, Cardiff, Manchester and Riyadh. Its chief executive, Sunil Patel, co-founded the producer alongside Mr Coulthard and Mr Humphrey. It is said to be plotting further expansion in sport in the form of bigger events and rightsholders, as well as in events, where its clients include Red Bull. Whisper is also focused on growing its presence in the US, where it currently works with Tom Brady's Religion of Sport, and the Middle East, where it is partnered with Neom and Saudi Pro League teams. Outside of sports rights, it has produced documentaries about Ben Stokes, the England Test cricket captain, and Sven-Goran Ericsson, the late England football manager. It has also diversified into entertainment programming, producing the Wheel of Fortune gameshow hosted by Graham Norton. Its most recent accounts disclosed a £4.3m pre-tax profit for the year to March 31, 2024. Both RedBird IMI and Whisper declined to comment.
Sky News
10-07-2025
- Business
- Sky News
All3Media owner RedBird IMI among suitors for Coulthard-owned TV firm
The owner of the television producer behind Squid Game: The Challenge and Call The Midwife is among the suitors circling Whisper Group, the firm founded by broadcaster Jake Humphrey and former racing driver David Coulthard. Sky News has learnt that RedBird IMI has tabled an offer for Whisper Group, which has been exploring a sale for several months. Sources said the auction process was at a critical stage with a buyer potentially being selected within days. RedBird IMI, which had hoped to take full control of The Daily Telegraph before a change of media ownership law meant that its Abu Dhabi state involvement had to be curtailed, already owns All3Media, the TV production giant behind a string of hit shows. However, its interest in Whisper is said to have been expressed through RedBird IMI rather than being conducted using All3Media as the acquirer. RedBird is now in the advanced stages of taking control of the Telegraph newspaper titles, with IMI restricted to owning a maximum 15% stake. The identities of the other bidders for Whisper were unclear on Thursday evening. Whisper Group was established in 2010 and won a BAFTA for its coverage of the Women's Euros in 2022. It is working with advisers at KPMG on a deal. Whisper is already 30%-owned by Sony Pictures Television, which acquired the stake in 2020. Sony replaced Channel 4's Indie Growth Fund as an investor in the business. A majority of the shares in Whisper are owned by its founders and management team. The company is best-known for its sports productions, and is responsible for Channel 4's Formula One coverage as well as international cricket, boxing and the Paralympics. Whisper employs about 300 people, and has operations in London, Cardiff, Manchester and Riyadh. Its chief executive, Sunil Patel, co-founded the producer alongside Mr Coulthard and Mr Humphrey. It is said to be plotting further expansion in sport in the form of bigger events and rightsholders, as well as in events, where its clients include Red Bull. Whisper is also focused on growing its presence in the US, where it currently works with Tom Brady's Religion of Sport, and the Middle East, where it is partnered with Neom and Saudi Pro League teams. Outside of sports rights, it has produced documentaries about Ben Stokes, the England Test cricket captain, and Sven-Goran Ericsson, the late England football manager. It has also diversified into entertainment programming, producing the Wheel of Fortune gameshow hosted by Graham Norton. Its most recent accounts disclosed a £4.3m pre-tax profit for the year to March 31, 2024.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
A timeline of Red Bull's F1 highs and lows with fired team principal Christian Horner
FILE - Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, center, smiles next to his driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, right, during the first practice session for the Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit in Sepang, Malaysia, Friday, Sept. 29, 2017. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian, File) FILE - Red Bull team chief Christian Horner celebrates with his driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands celebrates after he became the world champion after winning the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021, (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File) FILE - First place Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel, of Germany, celebrates as Red Bull team principal Christian Horner looks on at the podium after winning Brazil's Formula One Grand Prix at the Interlagos race track in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday Nov. 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File) FILE - Scotland's David Coulthard takes his Red Bull-Cosworth out for the season's first Formula One practice session at Melbourne's Albert Park circuit Friday, March 4, 2005. (AP Photo/Ross Land, File) FILE - Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, left, celebrates with Red Bull team chief Christian Horner, right, and his team in the pit lane after becoming F1 drivers world champion after winning the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Dec. 12. 2021. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File) FILE - Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, left, celebrates with Red Bull team chief Christian Horner, right, and his team in the pit lane after becoming F1 drivers world champion after winning the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Dec. 12. 2021. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File) FILE - Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, center, smiles next to his driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, right, during the first practice session for the Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit in Sepang, Malaysia, Friday, Sept. 29, 2017. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian, File) FILE - Red Bull team chief Christian Horner celebrates with his driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands celebrates after he became the world champion after winning the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021, (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File) FILE - First place Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel, of Germany, celebrates as Red Bull team principal Christian Horner looks on at the podium after winning Brazil's Formula One Grand Prix at the Interlagos race track in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday Nov. 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File) FILE - Scotland's David Coulthard takes his Red Bull-Cosworth out for the season's first Formula One practice session at Melbourne's Albert Park circuit Friday, March 4, 2005. (AP Photo/Ross Land, File) FILE - Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, left, celebrates with Red Bull team chief Christian Horner, right, and his team in the pit lane after becoming F1 drivers world champion after winning the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Dec. 12. 2021. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File) Christian Horner entered Formula 1 as its youngest team principal in 2005 and developed Red Bull from a 'party team' to a serial title winner. Following the announcement by Red Bull on Wednesday that Horner had been fired after 20 years, here's a look at his time in F1: Advertisement ___ 1997 An aspiring driver at the level below F1, Horner founds junior team Arden with his father. Horner gives up his driving career a year later but continues running Arden, whose strong results with other drivers create a buzz. 2005 Ford wants to get out of F1 after five underwhelming years running a team under its Jaguar brand. Red Bull drinks company co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz leads a takeover and rebranding for 2005 and appoints Horner. He becomes F1's youngest team principal at 32. 2009 Red Bull sheds its reputation as a publicity-hungry 'party team' by taking its first F1 race win with Sebastian Vettel at the Chinese Grand Prix. The team has won 123 more races since then. Advertisement 2010 Vettel wins the first of four drivers' championships in a row, getting the better of Ferrari and his own Red Bull teammate Mark Webber, in what becomes an increasingly bitter rivalry. 2016 Max Verstappen makes his debut for Red Bull after being promoted from its sister team Toro Rosso. The 18-year-old Dutch driver stuns F1 with victory in his first race for the team at the Spanish Grand Prix, becoming F1's youngest winner. 2019 The first season of 'Drive To Survive' airs on Netflix. It takes viewers behind the scenes of F1. Over the following years, it makes stars of executives like Horner and helps interest in F1 boom in the United States, in particular. Viewers get insights into his rivalry with Mercedes' Toto Wolff, and home life with his wife, singer Geri Halliwell. Advertisement 2021 Horner is a key figure in one of the most dramatic and controversial title fights in history as Verstappen beats Lewis Hamilton to the championship. A disputed decision on the final lap of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix deepens the feud between Horner and Wolff. 2023 A season of record-breaking dominance sees Red Bull cars win all but one race all year. It's a third drivers' title for Verstappen and the sixth and most recent constructors' title for the team. 2024 Before the season begins, F1 is shaken by reports Horner is under investigation for alleged inappropriate conduct toward a team employee. He remains in his post as two investigations launched by Red Bull dismiss the claim. Verstappen wins his fourth drivers' title, although Red Bull no longer has the fastest car by the end of the year. Advertisement 2025 Verstappen's future at Red Bull comes into question amid speculation he could leave for old rival Mercedes, while he struggles with an increasingly uncompetitive car and Red Bull tries to plan for a new era of F1 rules in 2026. Amid all this uncertainty, Horner is fired. ___ AP auto racing:
RNZ News
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- RNZ News
Liam Lawson to race at Goodwood Festival of Speed
Liam Lawson is to race in the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Photo: ANTONIN VINCENT / AFP New Zealand F1 driver Liam Lawson will take part in the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England this week. Racing Bulls have announced their return to the event with Lawson running a car up the challenging Goodwood Hill. Lawson will drive Red Bull's RB7 car that was used during the 2011 Formula 1 season. He will take part alongside Red Bull's longest-serving exhibition driver Patrick Friesacher and 13-time F1 Grand Prix winner David Coulthard. Peter Bayer, chief executive of Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, said: "As we continue to celebrate the 75th anniversary of F1, we're looking forward to returning to the Goodwood Festival of Speed alongside Oracle Red Bull Racing. "I'm thrilled that Liam will be taking to the Goodwood hill climb as this will be an iconic moment to share among such passionate and dedicated motorsport fans." The Goodwood Festival of Speed is an annual event celebrating both historic and modern racing cars and motorcycles. The hill climb is held over a 1.8km course. It was first held in 1993. Goodwood has a tradition of F1 drivers taking part in the event including the likes of Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost and Sir Jackie Stewart. Haas drivers Ollie Bearman and Estaban Ocon are also entered this week. Lawson is coming off a DNF in last weekend's British Grand Prix at Silverstone . The next F1 race is in Belgium on 25 July.
