Who Is Better - Coulthard or Trulli?

[Raven]

Both under pressure to perform in 2004, but who do you rate as the better overall driver?

[Cougar]

Simply dont like Coulthard at all so my vote is extremely biased.

[Knowlesy]

I would say DC is slightly better at the moment ( although I clicked on Trulli better by accident!). He has shown he can battle with the best and is a race winner (or should that be was?). Trulli hasn't really shown those qualities yet, although 2003 was his most favourable year yet in my opinion.

[x_dt]

Too close to call. I much prefer Trulli to Coulthard but Trulli has disappointed in races on many occasions.

[Redblurr]

both as bad or equal as each other. Both have had their downs and downs and well you ge the picture

[BootsOntheSide]

Jarno is a difficult driver to really rate. Time and again he is fast in qualifying, but perhaps his race results don't always match that. There's no doubt that he's frequently unlucky, Monza 2003, Monaco 2000 and Malaysia 2003 in particular cost him surefire podiums.

However, there are also days where he seems slack and lazy, too content to drive at 90% and hope no one catches him out for it. Perhaps stamina is the issue? That said, he seems to have improved his overall performance in 2003.

Coulthard's only real problem last year was the qualifying. How a fast, gifted driver who took several poles off Mika can be unable to adapt to the new system is baffling. On race day he was fast and reliable, often benefitting from fast laps at the right time.

He does seem to have become complacent and set in his ways in the last few years at McLaren, probably believing he had a drive for life. Now that this isn't the case, and he's started to master the qualifying, 2004 could be a good year, but his chances of beating Kimi are slim.

All the same, I think David has more to offer a team, especially once his PR skills and testing prowess are factored in.

[santori]

I think Jarno has maybe more potential ability. Both at their best are fantastic.

[yobro]

Trulli.

[esorniloc]

I am no Coulthard fan, but he has won 13 races.

Trulli isn't good enough for his Renault drive. His drive at Silverstone was a typlical Trulli style drive where he just goes backwards!

I am not sure why he is in F1, he is a bit like Tagliani in CART, never won a race and is never going to.

[Mr V]

Can we have an equal vote? Both good enough to be in F1, but never going to set the world on fire, and will always play second fiddle to their team-mates.

[GP Racer]

I think its pretty even between the two, but I went with Trulli. This year is a make or break year for both, I think.

DC definetly needs to turn it up a notch and show that he still belongs in F1. JPM is coming, and if he's going to have any shot at retaining his seat at McLaren, he's got to go top 3. Other teams will be watching him also to see if he's still got it. He's had a good car at McLaren, and has failed to capitalise. He needs to master single lap qualifying, it killed his season.

Trulli had terrible luck last year. He was very good at qualifying, but then he went out and had some terrible races. He also needs to step it up, because he needs to keep pace with Alonso.

So I give it to Trulli, because he qualifies well, and without the bad luck of last season, he may have done pretty well. Also his car is not as good as DC's.

[Mr V]

Agree that his car wasn't as good as DC's, overall, but he should have been a lot closer, (i.e by a lap) to fernando at Hungary.

Trulli has always been seen as a qualifying expert, and although quali's don't mean as much this year, Trulli had the same oppertunties as Alonso. Alonso got 2 poles, Trulli didn't, Alonso got a win, Trulli didn't.

[GTRMagic]

There were reports this morning on ABC Radio that Coulthard had been sacked from McLaren for 2004. I havent seen that anywhere...

I get the feeling Coulthard needs a sports psychologist to take him aside and help get his head right. Its like he is a little latin in temperament, some days he is blindingly good, others its like he shouldnt have bothered to get out of bed.

A life coach, motivator, sports psychologist... whatever... but Coulthard is indeniably talented... but will look back over his 10 year GP career and wonder what he actually achieved.

[RWC]

Coulthard is proven over and over to be absolutely useless.
Trulli can't be that bad can he?

[enemy-ace]

Coulthard is hardly useless
He may never be a WDC but he is a good No.2 driver. I don't think he has Trulli's outright speed, but he does have a more consistent race pace. Which on the day that counts is what really matters.
Coulthard pips Trulli by a jaws length.

[pink69]

but who needs a good number 2 driver?? If you want to win titles you have to want to be the number one driver, a number 2 is someone who has less ability than the number one, say a rookie or a limited ability driver. A team like Mclaren don't want a number 2, they'll want two drivers who'll push each other the limits, like Williams have with Montoya and Ralf. On the topic of DC and Trulli, both are big under achievers and sooner than later both will lose they're seats with their current employers. I can't see Kimi losing his seat if he performs like last season. With all the talent Renault have in the wings, Webber, Montagny, Bourdais I can't see Trulli hanging on to his seat too much longer unless he starts delivering victories and stops being shown up by Alonso.

[vatuloa]

This is a website from foxsports on Couthards possible sacking.

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0...-23210,00.html

[Adam43]

I would imagine that is the most likely outcome. I've not seen anything in these Kimi leaving stories that makes me think it is anything than a bored writer!

[Dino IV]

Originally posted by santori
I think Jarno has maybe more potential ability. Both at their best are fantastic.

I agree. That sentence sums it up for me in this immense dilemma.

[enemy-ace]

Originally posted by pink69
but who needs a good number 2 driver??

Ferrari!

[vatuloa]

It could and should be resolved with Mclaren anouncing there 2005 lineup. There are now a number of sites talking about Coulthard as if he is finished already.

[MichaelH]

I'd say Jarno is the faster, Coulthard the better.

[GTRMagic]

Number 1 at Jaguar in 2005 isnt that much of a step down is it? He gets to play with Sir Jackie and the boys again... like the old days

[TedN]

BBC Report Here

Tuesday, 30 December, 2003, 17:13 GMT
McLaren axe to fall on Coulthard
By Andrew Benson
Motorsport editor
BBC News

David Coulthard will be dropped by McLaren at the end of the forthcoming season, leaving Kimi Raikkonen to partner Juan Pablo Montoya in 2005.

McLaren have yet to confirm who will partner Montoya, who will join from Williams at the end of next season.

But suggestions that Raikkonen is out of contract at the end of 2004 are "not true", a source has told this website.

McLaren are understood to have an option on the Finn's services, which they will take up. ..."





Having provided the link, its not neccessary to post the entire (Copywrighted) article. Please post only the relevant bits. Thank you. -E.

[Down F0rce]

DC is better imo, just his qualifying that let him down this year. Trulli has been better in qualifying but has faded away in the races, whereas DC has often fought back to get a good result (eg Australia '03).