Coulthard returns to DTM with Mercedesposted in DTM06 | 04 | 2011
GRAND PRIX winner David Coulthard will bid to repeat fellow Scot Paul di Resta's domination of the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) after confirming he will race with Mercedes this year.
While Bathgate's Di Resta dominated the championship last year — winning three races on his way to winning the title — former Formula One racer Coulthard struggled to get to grips with the new format.
But after grabbing his first point of the year in the season finale in Shanghai, the race in which Di Resta (pictured) clinched the DTM title before moving up to F1 with Force India this year, Coulthard stated his apprenticeship was over.
"The race in Shanghai was the big turning point for me," 40-year-old Coulthard, who also posted the fastest lap in that race, explained today. "My year of apprenticeship is over; now I'm looking to make some real progress.
"I'm very pleased to be contesting the DTM series once more in 2011 for Mercedes-Benz. For me, DTM is also an excellent platform for raising public awareness of the 'Wings for Life' charity.
"I learnt a lot last year, and have laid good foundations for my second season. After gaining my first DTM point at the final race of the season in Shanghai in 2010, I would like to make my fans happier this season by scoring points more often."
And Coulthard, who will sandwich his DTM appearances between his stints as BBC F1 commentator alongside Martin Brundle, received encouragement from Di Resta.
"David has been a big help in offering me advice on my step up to F1," Di Resta, in Malaysia for this weekend's grand prix, said, "and while he is vastly more experienced than me, if I can help his DTM challenge in any way, then I will.
"David showed as the season progressed last year that he was getting to grips with the way you need to drive a DTM car, which is completely different to an F1 car. I think we'll see the real DC competing in DTM this year."
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Jim McGill