Crashing in F1 isn’t rare. Almost every driver has had to deal with the scare of suffering a hard shunt, whether it’s into the barriers, or with another car. It’s what they train to avoid, but also what they prepare mentally for.
But not many in F1 can say that they have survived a plane crash before. David Coulthard did, and it was something that changed his life forever.
It was the year 2000, and Coulthard was traveling to Nice, ahead of the Spanish GP weekend when one of the engines in his private plane failed. Although the pilots tried their best to execute a safe emergency landing, the plane crashed. Coulthard, and his girlfriend at the time, Heidi Wichlinski, both injured their ribs and tragically, both pilots had lost their lives.
It was an experience that shook the Briton to his core. Firstly, he accepted that it was a consequence of his impulsive decision to leave immediately for Nice, despite being advised not to do so. Now, in the aftermath of such a crash, any individual would want to opt out of any upcoming professional commitments they have. But not Coulthard.
His determination to take part in the following race weekend in Spain and not spend time away from F1 was something he feels resonated with the best drivers of his generation. It’s also why he doesn’t like seeing modern-day F1 stars take time off for trivial matters.
In May 2000 David Coulthard survived this plane crash which killed both pilots. pic.twitter.com/L5Y9Xef7ko
— Formula 1 Fans (@Formula1_GP) August 20, 2013
“I’m of a generation where even if you get sick, you were in the car,” the ex-Red Bull driver said. “That’s why when I’m doing commentary today, if a driver takes a weekend off because he’s got a flu, I struggle with it personally.”
“You’re a soldier on the front line. You can’t say, ‘I wanna delay the battle today, I wanna have a lie in.’ You just have to get on with it,” he added.
For younger drivers who have taken off days or are planning to do so in the future, it could be important to take a leaf out of Coulthard’s book. He struggled because of his injuries, but put in a brilliant display in Barcelona, qualifying in P4 and finishing second on the podium.
The fact that Coulthard did that, just mere days after what could have been his last day alive, shows what a tough competitor he was.
