"They didn't see the danger, they saw opportunity": Red Bull man on what set Michael Schumacher or Lewis Hamilton apart from other F1 drivers

Former Red Bull man David Coulthard explained what he felt the difference was between the likes of Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton when compared to other F1 drivers. The Scotsman claimed that these drivers had an "exceptional gene" inside them, which made them champions.

During his time in F1, David Coulthard won 13 F1 Grands Prix. Driving for quick teams on numerous occasions, he was able to drive with three world champions as his teammates, including Mika Hakkinen, Kimi Raikkonen, and Damon Hill.

Speaking recently on the High Performance podcast, Coulthard explained how he got to understand the difference between a true champion and an average F1 driver as he was in close quarters with many exceptional drivers during his time in the sport.

While explaining what made the legendary drivers stand out, the 54-year-old named the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, and Mika Hakkinen.

"[They] had that exceptional gene in them, I didn't have it, but your Mika's, your Michael's, your Lewis', whoever the great champions are, and I'm sure it's the same in business with work ethic, they didn't see the danger, they saw the opportunity," said Coulthard.

Coulthard drove against all three drivers he mentioned during his long F1 career. As previously mentioned, he was Mika Hakkinen's teammate at McLaren. This was at the same time that the Finnish driver claimed his two drivers' championships against Michael Schumacher in 1998 and 1999.

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David Coulthard reveals one area where he was inferior to the likes of Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton

Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton at the 2012 Monaco Grand Prix - Source: Getty

David Coulthard highlighted that he noticed a difference in the approach to a medium-speed corner between himself and drivers like Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. The former Williams driver explained that these elite competitors were able to extract the maximum advantage in those parts of the track.

When asked by the host on the aforementioned podcast about one area of difference he observed between himself and the likes of Hamilton and Schumacher, Coulthard replied, saying:

"Medium speed corners. Low speed, I would put myself up against any driver."

Using a skiing analogy, he added:

"I think those guys were able to live in that middle part of the ski more often. I was very good if I was all on the front axle. I was not very good in medium speed corners."

Coulthard had multiple incidents with Michael Schumacher during the late 1990s, as both were competing for the two best teams on the grid at the time. The most famous of these altercations was when Schumacher crashed into Coulthard at the 1998 Belgian GP as he tried to unlap himself, ending his own race.

This led to one of the most iconic moments in F1 history, as Schumacher got out of his car and angrily stormed towards Coulthard's garage to confront him.