'Superman' ready to confound critics - EXCLUSIVE.

by Russell Atkins

Following Superman's surprise appearance in Monaco last year, David Coulthard is gearing himself up for some more giant-killing performances in 2007, at the wheel of what he hopes will be a much-improved Red Bull Racing RB3.

The Scot's podium finish around the streets of the Principality in May was the sole highlight of an overwhelmingly dispiriting campaign for Christian Horner's boys, one that had perhaps been ill-fated right from the word 'go' with cooling problems that affected its Ferrari engine blighting winter testing. That, though, is now all in the past, with Ferrari replaced by Renault and an all-star design team led by the man Horner has dubbed 'the Michael Schumacher of engineering' - Adrian Newey - leaving Coulthard feeling quietly confident ahead of the season-in-hand.

"I'm always excited about the year ahead because of all the optimism and desire to have a good car and package," he told Crash.net at the launch of the RB3 in Barcelona. "Everyone has been working around the clock, as you can imagine all teams are at this part of the year, but for Red Bull it's not just a case of getting a new car out. It also involves understanding and integrating with a new engine manufacturer.

"There are a lot of new people within the team getting used to different work processes too, so it really is an exciting time. It's a real journey of discovery, but also nerve-racking because obviously last year we hoped we had a good package and it turned out to be rubbish.

"This year we hope that won't be the situation again. We don't know yet where we stand. We will get a better picture over the next few weeks, and then ultimately all that really matters is your performance at grand prix weekends."

One thing not in doubt is Coulthard's own performance, having won 13 races, stood on the rostrum no fewer than 61 times and amassed a staggering 513 points over his 13-year career in the top flight, results that make him statistically the most successful British driver of all time. Encouragingly, the first of those triumphs came in Portugal in 1995, driving an Adrian Newey-designed Williams, powered by Renault.

"Adrian is very straightforward in his approach, and obviously he has had a great deal of success in Formula One," the Twynholm-born ace added, clearly happy to have joined forces with the design guru again and keen to renew the pair's winning ways. "I think a lot of the younger engineers have been pleasantly surprised by how approachable he is. His office door is always open for people to come in and ask questions and make suggestions, because that's ultimately how a team goes forward.

"Every individual influences in some way the development or design of the car, and it's all about getting the working dynamic right. It doesn't mean it's frictionless - of course occasionally you will have disagreements - but in the end it all helps you come up with a better solution. It still remains to be seen whether they have achieved that with the RB3 or not, but I certainly hope so.

"The Renault deal has worked very well too. They are very straightforward in that their focus of course is on the main team, but with the way the regulations are now the package we get from them should be very similar because they want to do a professional job. They have committed a lot of people to it. Last year we had six Ferrari people come to the tests. With Renault we've already got 16."

At 35-years-old there are many who believe Coulthard is now fast entering the twilight era of his career in the top flight, and this year will see him coming face-to-face with Australian Mark Webber, undoubtedly the strongest team-mate he will have driven alongside since Kimi Raikkonen at McLaren back in 2004. He is adamant, however, that age shall not wither.

"I don't think I'm at a disadvantage against any of the younger drivers," he asserted, "because I believe I operate my life in a way that leaves me free to focus on my racing. Of course there are a few more things going on in my life away from the track than for a kid who maybe still lives at home and is just starting his first grand prix season, but they are pleasurable distractions if you like rather than things that take my mind away from the racing.

"Everyone expects Mark to provide more of a challenge than what I've seen over the past couple of seasons, but that's just part of Formula One. If you are scared of competition then you are in the wrong business, and I'm not scared of competition."

That he surely is not, and if he is approaching his final few years in the highest echelon, he certainly intends to go out in style. The result in Monte Carlo may have been in some small part down to attrition, but the Twynholm-born ace is convinced there will be plenty more days in the sun still to come before he does finally hang up his helmet.

"This year we need to get firmly into the second division and score points on a regular basis," he stressed, steadfast in his resolve. "That doesn't mean I'm not dreaming we could get a good package and maybe pull out the odd great result during the course of the year, but I think we have to be realistic in how the team moves forward. We were firmly in the third division last year, which was disappointing and underwhelming, and to get into the second division means competing against the manufacturer teams."