At one point, there were a few on this forum who thought Ferrari should have recruited him. I couldn't see that myself. Last year maybe, in an interview Hulkenberg said that no top team would call on his services. At least he isn't big-headed and doesn't harbour any illusion. At Renault Ricciardo should quickly be faster than him, IMO.
With 62 podiums and 13 GP wins, Coulthard was certainly not mid-field, and far better than Hulkenberg.
What part of ''I rate DC'' do you not comprehend? Stop picking every bit apart. I rate him highly but not in the top. As was evident when he was teammate with Hakkinen and Raikkonen. From that we know he's not a superstar. So the next step down is mid field. And he was top of that. Comprende?
+1 Absolutely. Coulthard was in the right cars at the right time, as was mid-fielder and WDC Damon Hill. Ka-Boom!
By a quick rule of thumbs, the best drivers usually get called by the top teams and get the best cars. Coulthard was WDC material at some point, but had strong team mates. Hulkenberg never received a call from a team likely to win the championship, I Wonder why. He is not a bad driver, but certainly not in the same league as Coulthard was. If there is any sparks of Genius in Hulk's driving, we have yet to see it.
At which point ? Even Coulthard has said he lacked the extra X factor that Hakkinen, Schumacher and Alonso posessed. Therefore throughout his F1 career he was not WDC material. Sparks of genius usually reveal themselves early-doors in an average car. I feel for Alesi, super quick but his loyalty to Ferrari denied himself a seat in a WDC capable car.
Coulthard finishes 2nd or 3rd in the championship several times when at McLaren, proof that he was right near the top. He certainly could hold his own against his team mates. He didn't win 13 GPs by chance. Hulkenberg went through a few teams, but never did he show flashes of genius. Perhaps I was blinking when that happened ... Alesi gets much adulation here, but I don't share that. A driver who let slip through his fingers at certain drive at Williams, the dominating team then, to be lured by a contract for Ferrari, to me is puzzling. When you think that D.Hill, J. Villeneuve and Prost won a WDC each in that car, some say without effort, one wonders what went through Alesi's mind! That sealed his career, and we are left to ponder if someone who makes such a bad decision is really WDC material.
Alesi posessed the X factor behind the wheel but his loyalty and belief in Ferrari was admirable but unfortunately Ferrari was spaghetti bolognese during his tenure. Conversely Mika Hakkinen's loyalty and belief in McLaren came good. Such are the weather Gods. Hulkenberg has no genius in F1. The operative word in Coluthard's career is "near" , as you pointed out. I was a guest of a certain Williams driver at Monaco when Coluthard stuck it on pole. Imagine the delight onboard our hosts boat when DC was banging his steering wheel as he stalled the McLaren on the grid. It was a good day for the Tifosi DC was one of the best of the rest, but certainly not WDC material during his tenure.
Strange ... Barichello was 2nd as well and scored 11 victories but he is only considered a No.2 for Michael whereas David is WDC material all of the sudden with almost the same stats.... does not make sense to me Gesendet von meinem SM-G930F mit Tapatalk
Hulkenberg got a pole with a mid field car, beat all his team mates and won Le Mans. Coulthard was test driver for Williams, Senna died et voilá. As Clint Eastwood said, deserving has nothing to do with this.
I´m tired of reading that ****: when Alesi took that decision, Ferrari was 2nd and Williams 4th. But oh, it´s so easy to talk in hindsight. Alesi´s career was doomed anyway: when he got a seat at Benetton, they went from 1st to 3rd, and later dropped like a rock. There are so many examples of drivers who took the wrong train. That stuff of "the best drivers always end in the best cars" is a blatant lie. Right now, there is a certain Sebastian Vettel who is under heavy pressure to show that he´s at least a decent driver, despite having many times the best car.
It's your opinion, and I accept that. Couthard has 13 wins to show for his career in 2 top teams, that's most than many "mid-fielders" can say.
If one pole is all that Hulkenberg can show for his years in F1, that puts him in the same league as Boutsen or De Cesaris!
Alesi had already signed for Williams, by all accounts, and got talked into driving for Ferrari instead at the last minute. In an interview in Motorsport last year, Alesi accepted that it had been a disastrous decision. Looking for the best opportunities and deciding the right career moves is part of being a good F1 driver. Some drivers have made cunning moves, like Fangio, Stewart, Lauda, Schumacher, Hamilton, who enhanced their careers by switching team. Others have taken the wrong decision, like Surtees, Fittipaldi, Villeneuve Jr, Alesi, Alonso, etc ...that completely stalled their career.
Beating your team mates in minnow teams isn't a bit deal, and won't leave a lasting impression, I am sure. But clocking 13 GP wins when your team mates were Hakkinen and Raikkonen looks like an achievement to me. Each to its own, of course ...
Off season doldrums. For the record Alesi was great, Coulthard a wanker and Hulkenberg somewhere in between.
I remember Coulthard blocking Michael in one race to give Hakkinen an advantage... as soon as Michael pitted David tried to increase the pace to avoid an undercut just to crash a lap later.... hardly championship like Hulk is consistent "best of the rest" showing he can drive but he never got the chance to compete in a contender. He will never become WDC but at least he can proof himself against one that is certainly in the circle of the best at the moment Gesendet von meinem SM-G930F mit Tapatalk
You are entitled to your opinion, of course, but the epithet "wanker" is undeserved, I think. Just to put things into perspective, Coulthard scored more GP wins than Alan Jones, Jacques Villeneuve, James Hunt, Jody Schekter or Jochen Rindt, all WDCs.
