F1 News: Michael Schumacher Had This Insane Contract For His Teammates Admits David Coulthard
Former McLaren driver-turned pundit David Coulthard has revealed a significant detail about a potential contract with Ferrari, which required him to always allow Michael Schumacher to pass him, highlighting the lengths Ferrari went to ensure Schumacher's dominance in Formula 1.
Key Takeaways:
- David Coulthard was approached by Ferrari during his tenure at McLaren, but he could not agree to a contract clause that mandated yielding to Michael Schumacher in races.
- Coulthard won 12 of his 13 career Grand Prix wins with McLaren, contributing significantly to their 1998 Constructors' Championship victory, and remained loyal to McLaren despite Ferrari's interest.
- Schumacher's era at Ferrari was marked by great success, with the team winning six Constructors’ titles from 1999-2004 and Schumacher securing five Drivers’ titles.
David Coulthard, during his successful stint with McLaren, was once courted by the iconic Ferrari team. In a revealing conversation on the Formula For Success podcast, the British driver shared an intriguing aspect of the contract offered by Ferrari when he considered a potential move.
Asked by his podcast co-star, former F1 team boss Eddie Jordan, whether he spoke to any other teams while at McLaren, Coulthard replied:
“I did. I met with Jean Todt in Paris in his apartment, to talk about the potential to drive for Ferrari. And my recollection of the contract offered was basically a number two contract, which, despite whatever anyone can now conclude about my career, at that time, I still felt that I wasn’t going to sign anything other than equal opportunity.
"And so essentially, if I was running fourth and Michael was fifth, then I had to move over and all the way right up to if I was leading.
"And I just couldn’t agree to signing to that.”
This clause starkly contrasted with the ethos at McLaren. Coulthard's time at McLaren, from 1996 to 2004, was marked by significant success, including a Constructors’ Championship win in 1998. He further highlighted the difference in team philosophy and contract terms between McLaren and Ferrari.
“And all credit to Ron [Dennis] and McLaren, the contract they offered me was always equal opportunity.
"And although there was a clause that said you had to accept the instructions of the team principal, in whatever circumstance it might be, largely speaking, I was given a fair and equal opportunity to crack on and try and see how good I could develop my skills.
"So that was the only team really I spoke to during my nine years at McLaren.”
After his time with McLaren, Coulthard moved to Red Bull, becoming their first driver and racing until his retirement at the end of 2008.