David Coulthard Shares Bizarre Post-Monaco GP Victory Hangover Story — Without the Partying

You can’t blame F1 drivers for partying after a race win—it’s a special occasion for them and their close ones. Most indulge, even if it risks a bad hangover the next morning. However, David Coulthard recently shared a story about a terrible hangover he experienced after his first Monaco GP win. The strange part? He hadn’t celebrated or even had a single drink.

The former Red Bull driver, who has lived in Monaco for almost 30 years, said, “[I’ve been] lucky enough to have had good enough cars to win it a couple of times,” during a conversation with Justin Bell, former Le Mans winner.

“But the first time, I was so dehydrated. It was a really hot race, and you’re putting the liquid into yourself after the race,” he added.

Coulthard explained that while he managed to attend the gala dinner and the post-race party, his body wasn’t up for celebrations. “I remember going into Jimmies… and I sat down and had a drink. I was thinking, ‘I don’t feel good.’ Dehydration is like a massive hangover, so I ended up going back home,” Coulthard admitted.

The Briton was referring to his 2000 win in the Principality. Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher had a strong start to the race, leading the field ahead of Jarno Trulli, Coulthard, and teammate Mika Hakkinen.

Things took a drastic turn when Trulli retired with a gearbox issue and Schumacher encountered a suspension failure while leading comfortably on lap 56. Coulthard, driving for McLaren, capitalized, and emerged victorious, even though it took a toll on his body. His second win in Monaco came two years later.

Coulthard didn’t party in Las Vegas either

Coulthard is still strongly associated with Red Bull, and often drives for them in car shows around the world. As such, he would definitely have been on the guest-list for Max Verstappen‘s Championship celebrations, which unfortunately didn’t take place.

Verstappen secured his fourth World Title in Las Vegas on Sunday. However, with the race starting late—at 10 PM—post-race formalities stretched on, and it was already 3 AM by the time everything wrapped up.

“It’s 5:00 in the morning. Then they’ll be flying on a charter to Qatar later. So you almost don’t get an opportunity to celebrate Vegas in the way that the fans get to celebrate Vegas which is selfishly a bit of a shame,” Coulthard revealed.

Needless to say, Red Bull and Verstappen will celebrate in style when they get the chance. Following the season finale in Abu Dhabi, massive celebrations are expected—and Coulthard will undoubtedly be part of them.