Fabian Coulthard

Fabian Coulthard
Fabian Coulthard at 2012 Hamilton 400
Nationality	New Zealand
V8 Supercar Record
Car number	14
Current team	Brad Jones Racing
Series championships	0
Races	260
Race wins	4
Podium finishes	20
Pole positions	6
2014 Championship position	8th (2443 pts)

Fabian Coulthard (born 28 July 1982) is a New Zealand professional race car driver, currently competing in the V8 Supercars Championship.

Early career

Coulthard was born in Burnley, England^[1] but raised in Auckland, New Zealand. He started his career in karts before moving into Formula Ford. He competed in the Formula Ford support races of the 2002 Australian Grand Prix. In the United Kingdom, Coulthard competed in British Formula Renault, where he was team mates with Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton. With his budget finished, Coulthard returned to race in Australia and joined the Carrera Cup, finishing third and best rookie in 2004 before returning to finish the job and be crowned champion in 2005.

V8 Supercars

In 2006 Coulthard signed to drive with Paul Morris Motorsport, he shared a car with Alan Gurr and Steve Ellery. Coulthard returned to drive the older model VZ Commodore for the same team in 2007, before stepping out after Bathurst to concentrate on his 2008 plans.

Coulthard enjoyed a breakout season in 2008 driving for Paul Cruickshank Racing. Driving a Ford BF Falcon, Coulthard finished in the top ten on six separate occasions, including fifth place on home soil in Hamilton, New Zealand and finishing the season in a respectable 13th in the championship.

In 2009 he returned with PCR, driving a brand new Ford FG Falcon having another consistent year behind the wheel of the Falcon. At Symmons Plains Raceway Coulthard broke through for his first podium result in V8 Supercars, finishing third at the 2009 Falken Tasmania Challenge and finished the season in another consistent 16th in the championship.

In 2010 he joined Walkinshaw Racing, the same operation as the famous Holden Racing Team.^[2] On the first lap of the 2010 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, his left-rear tyre blew after earlier contact, spun at 280 km/h through the Chase and rolled six times in the sand-trap before coming to a stop. Coulthard has failed to replicate his 2008/2009 speed with only three respectable results being a seventh in race 5 of the championship, at the 2010 Clipsal 500 an eighth at 2010 Falken Tasmania Challenge and another 5th at the Sydney Telstra 500.

In 2011, Coulthard continued racing with Walkinshaw Racing, driving the #61 Bundaberg Racing Team VE Commodore (WR013). In 2012, he left Walkinshaw Racing and moved to Brad Jones Racing.^[3]

Coulthard is distantly related to former F1 driver David Coulthard.

Career results

The Ford FG Falcon of Fabian Coulthard at the 2009 Sydney Telstra 500

The Holden VE Commodore of Fabian Coulthard at the 2011 Clipsal 500 Adelaide

Fabian Coulthard driving for Brad Jones Racing in 2012

Fabian Coulthard 2010 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 rollover sequence

See also

• List of sportspeople with dual nationality

References

• REC on the market

External links

• Official website
• V8 Supercar Profile
• NMD
• V8 X article
• Speedsport
• Conrod Bio