Red Bull’s David Coulthard announced his retirement from Formula 1 just before this year’s British Grand Prix after 15 years in the sport, declaring himself a has-been rather than a never-been.

During his career, Coulthard won 13 races - including twice at the British Grand Prix - from his 238 starts. Having made his debut with Williams in 1994 following the tragic death of Ayrton Senna, he became the highest-scoring British driver of all time, despite never having won the World Drivers' Championship.

Not a bad innings really - and his bank balance won’t be too bad either after his various business ventures were funded largely through his millions earned in F1. Clearly, he’s earned enough that he feels he had to take residency in Monte Carlo, for tax purposes obviously. Who wants to pay tax on their millions to the British government when you can live in the glamorous world of the principality of Monaco?

Some racing drivers never make it past karting and other junior formulas. Some who do make it never get up the ladder to GP2, and even then not everyone makes it to Formula 1. Success is never guaranteed at any stage in your racing career, no matter how hard you work or how much you get paid. Even a drive in F1 barely gives you a chance at a world championship unless, like Lewis Hamilton, you are exceptionally lucky to walk into one of the title-contending teams.

A world champion Coulthard might not have been, but he’s spent a long time in Formula 1. He was a runner-up in the World Drivers' Championship in 2001, won a number of races at the pinnacle of motorsport and been privileged to have one of the most exciting jobs in the world - and he did better than most of the ones who are there now.

He got a huge break in the most unfortunate of circumstances at Williams before becoming McLaren’s longest-serving driver, achieving many of his dreams in the process, and he’s rightly proud of that.