Team: McLaren
Nationality: Great Britian
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| | Coulthard |
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STATS
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Year
|
Rank
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Wins
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Poles
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Podium
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Best finish
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2001
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2
|
2
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2
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10
|
1st, Twice
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Career
|
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11
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12
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51
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1st, 11 Times
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2001 Recap
The Good: Coulthard collected a pair of wins -- Brazil and Austria -- and stood atop the podium after 10 events in 2001. He also beat out Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello for the second spot in the standings.
Season Highlight: Coulthard got by Ferrari's Michael Schumacher and won a thrilling Brazilian Grand Prix in April to end Schumacher's run of six successive victories.
The Bad: Coulthard was unhappy with McLaren's reliability and performance, which was not up to Ferrari's high standard in 2001.
Season Lowlight: Coulthard failed to finish back-to-back events midway through the season. A first-lap scrape with Jarno Trulli at Silverstone, followed by an expired motor mid-race at Hockenheim, effectively ended Coulthard's chances at the championship.
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| McLaren's David Coulthard, pictured, bested everyone but Michael Schumacher in 2001. |
Key Stat: Coulthard was runner-up in this year's championship standings, but was 58 points behind Schumacher.
2002 Outlook
What needs to be done: Coulthard insists Ferrari's performance can be matched. To do that, however, McLaren will need to make some improvements during the off-season testing period. Also, Coulthard will have a new teammate to work with in 2003. Former world champion Mika Hakkinen, who together with Coulthard formed F1's longest-running duo ever, decided to take at least one season off. Young and talented Kimi Raikkonen will replace Hakkinen. Coulthard hopes Raikkonen's input can help improve the entire program.
Prediction: Coulthard will once again prove to be Schumacher's top challenger for the world title. Coulthard is fast, focused and experienced. And, at 31, Coulthard knows his championship opportunties are running out.
Your Take
We asked for your thoughts on Coulthard and his chances for a championship in 2002. Can he make another run at Schumacher or has his window of opportunity slammed shut? You read what we think, now check out your take on Coulthard, his past season and his future outlook.
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