David Coulthard once signed for two F1 teams in one day after Williams boss ‘changed his mind’

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David Coulthard enjoyed a long 14-year Formula 1 career before he decided to call it quits with Red Bull in 2008.

While he failed to win a drivers’ championship, he competed against the likes of Michael Schumacher, Mika Hakkinen, and Lewis Hamilton. Nowadays, he has transformed into a prominent media figure and is often seen at the majority of Formula 1 races every season.

The closest Coulthard came to winning was back in 2001, when he finished second in the standings behind Michael Schumacher. Just three times would he cross the line and not finish on the podium all year, which is not far from title-winning form.

Hakkinen never experienced McLaren team orders while he was teammates with Coulthard, unlike what their current drivers face today. Following a race in 2006, Coulthard proved he was smarter than a driver by getting him penalised in a bid to score a point. He was a canny opponent who raced with his brain.

READ MORE: David Coulthard reveals the 1995 Formula 1 ‘mistake’ that cost him £2m at McLaren

David Coulthard once signed for two F1 teams in one day after Frank Williams ‘changed his mind’

During Coulthard’s debut season in 1994, he spent much of the year deputising in the second car after Ayrton Senna’s life was tragically taken at Imola. He performed well and even achieved his first podium at Portugal.

By the end of the season, it was time for him to engage in the Formula 1 driver market. He had options, but felt that remaining where he was would be the best idea for the time being.

That was until Williams’ owner, Frank Williams, changed his mind about offering him a two-year deal on the day he was meant to sign the contract.

“We went to Didcot to sign the contract, and as I went in the office, Frank said he changed his mind and he didn’t want to do a two-year contract, he wanted to do a one-year contract,” he said on F1’s Beyond the Grid Podcast in 2019. “Apparently, Damon [Hill] was upsetting him over his negotiation.

“So, I remember Peter Goodman, who was the lawyer for Williams, having got the two-year contract out, looking bemused and confused. I remember going into Frank’s secretary’s office next door with my manager, and going ‘Well, we now have a one-year contract on the table, rather than two years.’

“My manager, Tim Wright, said, ‘Well, let’s phone Ron [Dennis].’ He phoned Ron, and Ron said, ‘OK, sign the contract, sign the one-year contract with Williams, come to McLaren, and we’ll do a contract for 1996 and 1997.’

“I signed for Williams, having called McLaren from his building, drove down to Woking, and then signed for McLaren and then drove up to Scotland for Christmas and told my mum and dad.

“‘There’s good news and bad news. The good news is that I’m contracted for three years in Formula 1. The bad news is that it’s with two different teams.’ Which was a bit confusing for them.”

READ MORE: David Coulthard recalls the moment he fell out with Christian Horner and Mark Webber at Red Bull

How did David Coulthard perform after joining McLaren in 1996?

Coulthard’s debut season with McLaren would be one of the toughest of his career, finishing seventh in the standings without any victories.

For 1997, things stepped up a little, as he took a win as the season-opener in Australia, and would end up finishing third overall.

He repeated that achievement again in 1998 and 2000, but failed to take advantage of cars that teammate Hakkinen had managed to win championships with.

By 2004, he left the team for Red Bull, helping to transform them into contenders with his experience and feedback within a matter of years.