David Coulthard on the 2000 French GP

Race: 2000 French GP, Magny-Cours

Car: McLaren-Mercedes MP4-15

Although I won grands prix at Silverstone, Monaco and Spa, the reason I decided the 2000 French GP was the greatest race of my career was because I put myself in such a zone that day. Looking back, if I could have sustained performances like that across my career, I could have been a championship contender, but history shows I had troughs as well as those high peaks – and giving Michael Schumacher the finger that day adds an extra talking point…

Michael Schumacher, Ferrari F1-2000, David Coulthard, McLaren MP4/15 Mercedes

Photo by: Motorsport Images

I had my motorhome right inside the circuit, and I remember getting up early, going straight onto my rowing machine, got my heart and lungs pumping, and I really felt ahead of the game. I was in a good place – focused and determined – and I always went well at Magny-Cours.

I qualified second to Michael, after I’d had to switch to my spare car for the first part of qualifying. My race car, which had a fuel leak, was repaired in time for a last-minute flyer, but I just missed out.

Michael Schumacher, Ferrari F1-2000 leads David Coulthard, McLaren MP4/15 Mercedes, at the start

Photo by: Motorsport Images

At the start, Michael chopped across me, cutting me up and forcing me to lift for the first corner, the fast left-hander, so Rubens Barrichello was able to sweep around the outside.

I passed Rubens on the track, which is never easy in F1, then I caught Michael after the first pitstops and I had to overtake him – which was even harder.

The first time I tried at the Adelaide Hairpin, he drove me wide on the exit. I was already frustrated about what he did at the start, so this made me really angry!

Michael Schumacher, Ferrari F1-2000, David Coulthard, McLaren MP4/15 Mercedes

Photo by: Sutton Images

It’s a weird thing: I’m not normally someone who gives people the finger or the wanker sign, both of which I then did to Michael. But when Mika Hakkinen spun me around at Estoril in 1996, I never realised – until I saw photographic evidence – that I’d given my team-mate the finger that day too!

I think it shows that when I’m in that absolute zone, I have this subconscious fighting spirit. My conscious thought would have stopped me doing that, because I’ve got quite a reserved personality. Straight after the race I apologized for my hand gestures; I was back in the room!

That anger had given me such a focus, when I did pass Michael a few laps later – we touched wheels a little bit – off I went and won the race. It felt like anything other than a win that weekend wouldn’t have been enough; before the race started I knew I was going to win the grand prix.

Podium: second place Mika Hakkinen, McLaren, race winner David Coulthard, McLaren, third place Rubens Barrichello, Ferrari

Photo by: Sutton Images

The picture on the front cover of that week’s Autosport is as happy as you’ll ever see me.

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