David Coulthard to drive Red Bull as Daniel Ricciardo replacement at Nurburgring

The 13-time F1 grand prix winner has been called upon as a replacement for the injured Daniel Ricciardo to feature at the Nurburgring on September 9.

Coulthard, 52, will now drive the Nordschleife circuit at the same event that will see Sebastian Vettel return to an F1 car.

It features as part of the Nurburgring 12 Hours event.

Ricciardo had been teed up to drive an old Red Bull car at the event earlier this year, while his role was still as a third driver for F1’s dominant team.

Since then, he has returned full-time for Red Bull’s sister team AlphaTauri.

But, a broken hand suffered last weekend will rule him out of this weekend’s F1 Italian Grand Prix and much of September too.

While Liam Lawson is deputising for Ricciardo in the AlphaTauri, it is former Red Bull driver Coulthard who received the call-up for the Nurburgring.

Coulthard had jokingly applied to replace Ricciardo at this weekend’s F1 grand prix.

It is clear: Unfortunately, Daniel Ricciardo can not participate in the Red Bull Formula Nürburgring due to his injury - for him the 13-time Grand Prix winner David Coulthard takes over at short notice! pic.twitter.com/hF0tIcUlHJ

— Nürburgring (@nuerburgring) August 31, 2023

“Dear Christian Horner, please read my PowerPoint for why I should be Daniel’s reserve driver,” read his social media post entitled ‘Why I should be Daniel’s reserve driver’.

It claimed “I am quick on track, I did get Red Bull’s first podium, the engineers and I already get along, this would make me the 7th oldest ever F1 driver”.

Instead, Coulthard must settle for a feature appearance.