DC must retire now

[Valve Bounce]

DC's situation in F1 this year is unique. He is a much achieved but aging driver, teamed with a much younger and less experienced driver who is out-performing him by miles. Even when Kimi makes a couple of mistakes, he finishes better than DC. There is no other driver in any other team in the same embarrasing position. No doubt, Kimi will improve in leaps and bounds, and he will win the WDC sooner rather than later. DC is, unfortunately getting older, and he is no longer a threat to the podium getters anymore. His dreams of becoming WDC have finally evaporated. Basically, his team mate is making him look like tofu. He will become less and less competitive as time goes on, until guys like Webber and Bunsen knock him off regularly driving inferior cars. There is no other team for him to go to, coming from one of the best. Time to hang up the helmet, DC. Don't linger on after the party is over.

[josvandeperre]

Amazingly at Silverstone he set the race's second fastest lap on lap 60 - does this mean he should also be sacked for being lazy and not trying harder for the rest of the race !

[Armco Bender]

Yes but next year is going to be his big year.

[shiny side up!]

Umm... did not Coulthard win a race this year??? You weren't calling for Rubens' head, seems his predicament this year is much the same as Coulthard's... :confused:

Fact is that if DC wasn't good enough to be at McLaren, they wouldn't hire him to drive their cars! Surely you wouldn't accuse McLaren of doing things half-arsed, would you? It is clear that he is often slower than Kimi. But that doesn't make him worthless to McLaren or any other team, he is still one of the fastest and most technically-apt guys out there.

By the way, I'm not a huge DC fan, but he is catching too much from people lately... kind of like Ralf was...

[shiny side up!]

Originally posted by Armco Bender
Yes but next year is going to be his big year.

He does say that each year, doesn't he????

[PaulSands]

how old is he 32? I really dont think he'll be hanging his helmet up for a good few seasons yet

[Mr V]

Originally posted by shiny side up!


Fact is that if DC wasn't good enough to be at McLaren, they wouldn't hire him to drive their cars!

Very true, but it's in what capacity that they want him to drive their cars! If they are happy for him to play second fiddle to Kimi in the Finns quest for the WDC then he is good enough.If McLarens ambitions include the WCC then imo, he isn't good enough as he's not getting the points.

[slicktoast]

Then I guess GF, HHF, JV & JV must go too!

[Stuart Malaske]

DC is catching way more flack than he deserves. He is consistently fast. Almost always sets one of the top 3 fastest laps for every race. His only weakness is the 1 lap qualifying. If he could get qualifying sorted out, he'd be right with Kimi.

[gttouring]

he did, also win, but came from last to a points paying 5th.
very good driving indeed. DC is a gem and even though he has been off at times, he really is a fantastic driver.
Kimi is blessed and very talented. remeber DC is also very good for PR and all, he saved his girlfriend and a pilot yes? from a crashed and burning jet, the guy is super. and he does drive sorta well.
Maclaren better pull out all the stops for him, and help him stay near the front. i really would like to see him get a WDC title-Kimi has time, DC doesn't. of course this isn't to say they should do it for 'old ties sake' and pity.
no david can get it, see how the team helped him in Monaco last year? they should do better this year, the Gaff with the headrest, come on. Alonso's brake check was one of the few galring errors he has made by diving into the gravel like that, it looked like he had plenty of room to the right anyway..

[Inigo Montoya]

Well, if Bernie and Max scrap the single lap qual... who knows? DC may still have a few more years as a #2 left in him.

[Peter S]

Yes DC is the clear cut number 2.....thats probably why. Still amazed no one has commented on the team orders at silverstone when DC moved over for Raikkonen after the safety car went in. Ban DC for implementing team orders i say. If Ferrari did then they would have paid the price!

DC's weakness is that he has no strong points. In fact all he can do is talk a good race. Born loser.

[Adam43]

Originally posted by Peter S
Still amazed no one has commented on the team orders at silverstone when DC moved over for Raikkonen after the safety car went in.

That's because Raikkonen just overtook him, he then managed to get past the Toyota of Panis, which DC didn't.

There was no team orders AFAIK.

Kimi got a better run at him like people had been doind all afternoon. Not even James Allen thought that one was team orders!

[BMW V10]

I think DC is worthy of a seat but not one at McLaren. The gap between him and Kimi is only going to get larger I believe

[Peter S]

Hey you watch the race again.....DC just moved out of the way. Clearly team orders......but hang on he is british so no it doesnt count.

[Tom Fuller]

DC has been underperforming for ages! He only won Melbourne this year because of Montoya's stupid spin and whatever happened to Raikkonen. I've always laughed at the fact that he's been tipped for so many years running to actually win a world championship! Ok, so he may be British and our highest ranked Brit, but his career is over especially since Kimi has dubbed him over. Is he seriously contracted for next year? McLaren are bizarre if they have given him ANOTHER chance.

[Bononi]

That's the era of good #2s. DC is doing it well.

[beau]

But think about it he has been in f1 for nearly 10 years now. he has had his chances to get to the top but he failed so i think he should Retire at the end of this season.

[Tom Fuller]

I agree totally - or he could become a test driver for someone like Jordan, that would be better I suppose... or even do a Johnny Herbert.

[Schummy]

Looking at the big scheme of things, one can say DC has got most opportunities than any other non-WDC driver in decades. You can say David is not a "killer" at WDC level. Now that Mac has Kimi, life is even more difficult for DC: Kimi is very young, fast and cool.

While Coulthard goes on being a good and vastly experienced F1 driver, his time in Mac is open to speculation.

[Yoong Montoya]

McLaren will never sack DC. DC will keep going on until he so demotivated that he keeps parking healthy cars. DC just wants to beat Schumacher at staying with a team the longest


I don't blame him for being confident every pre-season, that's the way you have to be. Was Colin Edwards seen as the DC of World Superbikes before 2002? And look what happened that year. There is still hope for DC, but it's getting less and less likely now.

[Alan Jones]

Originally posted by Tom Fuller
or even do a Johnny Herbert.

and become famous for wetting his pants ?

[eein]

DC is a good driver, but probably lacks that spark needed to be a total champion. I think he would benefit from moving to another team (I'm I have to admit to agreeing with Bernie ont his one!) - someone like Toyota that he can work with to help bring them on. He is very technically astute - this is why McLaren like him, he gives excellent feedback into the technical development of the car.

I could definetaly see him staying in F1 after he retires - he may do a bit of sports cars or something, but I reckon he'll be back in something like a team boss or something like that.

[Mattracer]

I heard it said somewhere that he absolutely detests the one lap qual format.

[joe rossi]

Originally posted by Valve Bounce
Time to hang up the helmet, DC. Don't linger on after the party is over.

Here we go again....