Formula 1 is set to celebrate its 75th year of running with the 2025 season right around the corner. And over these years, the sport has seen many talented drivers grace its storied rostrum. David Coulthard is considered one of those names with 13 Grand Prix wins to his name.
But for Coulthard, current McLaren driver Lando Norris stands out as a better driver than he ever was. Having said that, the Scotsman does not rank the likes of Daniel Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas above himself despite the duo having a better record than Norris.
During his time with Red Bull from 2014 to 2018, Ricciardo carved out a pretty solid reputation for himself with seven Grand Prix wins. Touted as a championship contender, the Australian racing ace shifted base to McLaren in 2021 after a short stint with Renault from 2019 to 2020.
TODAY IN MONTECARLO IS REDEMPTION DAY FOR DANIEL RICCIARDO HE WINS THE MONACO GRAND PRIX!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/PyrmgiFqtn https://t.co/9E063kcRX0
— danny ️ (@yukielcore) June 25, 2024
Despite getting a win for the Woking-based team at the 2021 Italian GP, Ricciardo’s results plummeted drastically in 2022, leading the team to sack him. Almost overnight, the #3 driver’s reputation and career fizzled out.
That’s why Coulthard doesn’t regard the Honey Badger above his own self. “There’s no question [about] Daniel [Ricciardo], eight Grand Prix victories, great overtaker,” began the Scotsman.
“But the way his career petered out is what would make me hold onto my silence,” he concluded. Ricciardo was given a second shot at F1 when he was drafted back into the Red Bull family with RB, mid-way in 2023.
But his consistently dwindling form meant he was sacked by the team after the 2024 Singapore GP. While there are still rumors abound in the paddock that Ricciardo is a strong candidate for a seat with Cadillac in 2026, the 35-year-old has himself ruled out a comeback.
Coulthard has some advice for Ricciardo for life after F1
The former McLaren and Red Bull driver believes that the best bet for Ricciardo if he still has racing in his mind would be to locate a racing championship elsewhere. The Australian’s recent form in F1 makes Coulthard believe that it wouldn’t make much sense to return to the sport.
That said, the 53-year-old did acknowledge the fact that Ricciardo’s time in F1 did coincide with the sport’s soaring popularity. As a result, the Honey Badger has become somewhat of a celebrity despite his poor run of form.
Hence, Coulthard wouldn’t rule out a foray for the 35-year-old into the media business. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he [Ricciardo] has already worked out that working within the media space,” Coulthard explained.
Coulthard also warned Ricciardo about taking a sabbatical. A year on the sidelines and outside the spotlight might mean that the former Renault driver loses his allure and, hence, the Scotsman urged the Australian to get back into the racing paddock as soon as possible.
