DC!!!

Wow - I have just had a mega exciting experience for me!  I went to the Oxford Union to see David Coulthard as speaker!

My poor proof of it is this photo on the right taken on my phone as he was leaving!
More recognisable photos of him on the left taken from a google images search!

I couldn't quite bring myself to get too excited but when he walked in through the door I couldn't stop grinning :-)  I thought he looked mighty suave in his dark suit. I really felt he had a petite waist.  And when he started speaking I was just totally in love with his lilting scottish accent.  For more so I feel than I have ever been hearing him on television.

He spoke briefly on from a prepared speech.  I wonder now how much of it he had written himself as to be honest the tone of it was pretty different to when he was answering questions (which was the vast majority of the time - over an hour versus 10 minutes).  The speech was making comparisons with the Union (which I'm not a big fan of) and motor racing with a lot of tabloid type references to supermodels and the such.  He did start off by saying that he had been up ill all the previous night and was rather running on empty during the evening but he had wanted to fulfil his commitment (certainly something I admire).

The questions were the good bit.  I thought of two questions that I would have asked.  I never even put my hand up (being far too chicken) but I was getting closer to having my muscles respond to the messgae form my brain but then someone asked a similar question.   And then someone asked my other question later. Mine were:

• Which were your favourite circuits to go to as a driver and have they changed now you're a pundit? (he mentioned the word pundit now as being what he is on the BBC, but said he didn't really like the word as he didn't understand it)  His answer (paraphrased) was Monaco as it was a short walk home and major challenge to win - only the best can win there.  And Spa, because it's such a long circuit and because of Eau-Rouge - the change in altitude is greater than the height of the debating chamber and you come out of the corner blind.
• Do you regret letting Hakkinen past in Australia.  Yes, see his book for further details on why he did it.

The other thing I had been wondering about was team orders.  He answered a question about Nelson Piquet Junior and answered pretty much as my thinking was: there are too many variables to be able to stage a crash that would help your team mate to win.  Especially as (I didn't know this) there was no radio transmission telling Piquet to crash at that moment.  The only conversation had been before the race.

Some other interesting points that I happen to remember:

• The team mate he least got on with is Damon Hill.  He's not sure why but there was never much connection.  He has swapped helmets with all his other team mates and has helmets of all the world champions from his driving era except Damon.  He talked about the effect that Graham Hill's death had on the family and his belief that that had some effect on the way Damon was as a team mate.
• He said he got on with his other team mates and mentioned in particular Mika Hakkinen and having a drink with him now - he said Mika liked his vodka.
• He spoke highly of the Williams Team and Frank Williams.  When asked about his days at Williams he mentioned a time as a young driver when he wasn't sure whether to laugh or keep a dead pan expression.  Frank had been wheeling around the room where they had been meeting then came up to David and said 'Look at my shoes'; David did; then Frank said 'I've worn these same shoes for 20 years'.  When David looked rather scared, Frank explained that it was meant as a joke, because being a quadriplegic his shoes didnt get anywhere and he thought as a Scotsman David would like the thrift!

Am rather tired now, trying to fight off my second cold in a week and am going to head to bed.  Well, I am actually on bed but I will get in it!  Hopefully I will add more as it comes to me.

• update 11/2/10 He spoke about risk and safety.  He mentioned how the closest he came to death was in the plane crash.  He was knocked unconscious in testing in the early days of his career when a nut or bolt was loose and he lost steering and headed straight into the barriers.  He was pleased when he came round that his final thoughts before the crash weren't 'oh no i'm scared that i'm going to die', but he was trying to rectify the problem and work it out.  He told his mum this so that if he was ever to die in a race she was to know that his final moments hadn't been regrets or anything.  He also spoke about how he drove because he took steps to minimise the risk.  He then went on to talk about the children's cycle helmet company he set up and how he tried to get parliament to pass law for under 16s to wear cycle helmets as they do not necessarily have the ability to choose to minimise the risk.

 The evening also got me thinking about the season I kept a formula 1 diary.  Think it may have been 2002 - wow crazy to think it could have been 8 years ago.  I really enjoyed doing it and it got me properly involved in the race and was a snapshot of my life.  I wondered about starting it up again for this season.  Subsequently I wondered about doing it on the blog...  get's me thinking about the handwritten word versus the virtual.