Coulthard: Red Bull need 'quantum leap'
David Coulthard admits Red Bull need a “quantum leap” forward if they are to replicate the success of their debut season.
The Scotsman was the surprise of 2005 and scored 24 points for the Milton Keynes-based team, who underachieved badly in their time as Jaguar.
Coulthard’s occasional challenge for podium places gave Red Bull hope of a more sustained challenge this year but winter testing problems have left them struggling.
Coulthard has just one point to his name and fears Red Bull have missed their best chance to rack up points.
He said: “A lot of the points last year came in the first few grands prix so it will be difficult to amass the same amount of points as we did last year.
“It’s very competitive in that mid-grid area where we are. It’s going to take a quantum leap on horsepower or downforce to see us move forward.”
The 35-year-old expects points to be hard to come by this season but he at least can look back on 500 of them in a career spanning 13 seasons.
He hit that milestone in Australia, putting him alongside multiple world champions Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher in an exclusive group of drivers to have earned 500 points.
Coulthard, who famously has never won a world championship despite his prolonged success, feels he fully deserves his place amongst that elite.
“I’m sure most people in the paddock would imagine I don’t deserve to be there,” he said.
“The reality is of my 197 grands prix I have scored those points, you can’t take that away, you’ve got to be there to achieve them.
“I’m very proud of those points and I look forward to adding more to them.”
His eighth place at Albert Park came in unusual circumstances, with stewards promoting to eighth after punishing Scott Speed for overtaking under a yellow flag.
Coulthard is not bothered by how he scored his landmark point though.
He added: “A point’s a point. It doesn’t change anything. I’ve lost so many points in my career because of engines blowing up or some situation beyond my control.
“You have to accept you win some points and you lose some points in not classic situations. The rules are the rules. I’m very proud of it.”
The former Williams and McLaren driver is approaching another milestone, with his 200th grand prix arriving at Monaco next month.
Coulthard hopes to join the 200 club in better spirits than he has started the season.
“Honestly, we are all disappointed by the start to the season,” he said.
“January and February were affected badly, we didn’t develop the car as well as we could have.
“For me the season started in Barcelona last week, the first time we have done over 100 laps in a test day. “We are behind so we are disappointed. We will now start to reap more of the potential out of this car.”
