
Another British Grand Prix, and a renewed sense it could be David Coulthard's last.
It has been that way for the last two or three years, yet the 37-year-old Scot continues to remain a fixture in Formula One that has been his trade now for the last 15 years.
There has been no driving off into the sunset for Coulthard, happy in the knowledge he has made a king's ransom from the sport.
Instead, he continues to wake up in the morning thrilled to still be competing in the world's most demanding form of motor racing.
Yet perhaps on Sunday, he might just have a feeling it will be his last hurrah at Silverstone where he gloriously stood on top of the podium in 1999 and 2000.
Those were heady days when he was driving for McLaren, and whilst he is arguably having more fun at Red Bull at present, the results are in short supply.
Coulthard has been out-qualified by team-mate Mark Webber at the last seven grands prix.
And although he has scored Red Bull's sole podium this season in finishing third in Canada, it has been his only points finish in comparison to Webber who has scored in six out of eight races.
Taking a stark look at such a scenario would appear to indicate his days are potentially numbered, not that Coulthard is concerned.
"In theory, if it is my last British Grand Prix, it should be emotional," said Coulthard. "But we're all different, and I'm a realist and a fatalist.
"When something has happened - a decision taken, or whatever it happens to be - it's not something I dwell on. I just move on to the next thing.
"Should that moment come this time, there you go, it's the journey of life. I move on to the next thing.
"Right now, I am a grand prix driver. I have been for many seasons, and I am still sitting here as a grand prix driver because I enjoy it, I get a buzz from it.
"Clearly I deliver a value, and that has allowed the team to commit to me for the last few years.
"There will naturally come a time when that's not going to continue - boo-hoo!
"There are a lot worse things that can happen to you, and you move on to the next challenge."
Yet for Coulthard, as of this moment, there are few tracks around the world that give him as big a rush as Silverstone.
As he readily concedes, it is one of the main reasons why he is still a grand prix driver.
"Going down Hangar Straight to Stowe and you see the crowd standing at the side of the track, it is particularly special to Silverstone because it is a British crowd, you see the British flags, and the home of motorsport is in Britain," enthused Coulthard.
"That is a feel-good moment. At a lot of tracks you don't bother looking out at the grandstands, or whatever.
"But when you are on Hangar Straight, you are not driving, you are just sitting there waiting to get to the braking point, so you can soak up the atmosphere.
"It's always been like that since '94 when I competed in my first British Grand Prix, and it will be like that this weekend.
"Points-wise it might be just another race, but when it comes to atmosphere, feel-good factor and history, all of those things make it special."
It is why Coulthard would give anything - well, almost - to stand on the podium one more time at Silverstone and see a bank of Union Jacks waving in front of him.
Coulthard feels he is in with a much stronger chance of at least collecting points than he has been for a while at this race.
"Definitely," replied Coulthard when asked as to his prospects.
"Under normal running conditions, the top-six positions are fairly locked out with Ferrari, McLaren and BMW.
"That leaves us in that battle for the last couple of points with Williams, Renault, Toyota and Honda.
"As for a podium, well, it would definitely be a great feeling.
"I really enjoyed being on the podium in Canada. It was a great for me, great for the team.
"That might be our only opportunity this year given the current competitiveness of the car, but racing is racing and lots of things can happen."


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