This time last week, David Coulthard did not have a contract with Red Bull Racing, nor indeed anyone else, for 2005.

Speaking to Pitpass editor Chris Balfe on Monday 13 December, both Tony Purnell and David Pitchforth were confident that the Scot has a future with the Milton Keynes based outfit, but could not guarantee that he would get the drive - the final decision resting with Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz.

For his part, Mateschitz has undergone something of a conversion. Having previously made it clear that the Scottish veteran was not an option, the Austrian totally contradicted himself and just a few days later revealed that DC was the team's number one target.

On Friday 17 December the deal was done, and Coulthard joined Red Bull Racing on a one-year deal.

Speaking to the media at the weekend, the Scot expressed his delight with the deal and his confidence in the team: "We've got a lot of testing to do before the first Grand Prix in Australia in March," he told the BBC, "but know we can get the work done.

"I'm confident we'll surprise more than a few people on the grid," he added.

In previous years, DC has become the object of ridicule announcing - with frightening regularity at the beginning of each season - a number of all-too familiar soundbites: "This is my year", "No more Mr Nice Guy" and a Pitpass favourite, "This year the gloves are off."

Aware that these quotes have come back to haunt him, year after year after year, Coulthard opted for common sense while talking to the BBC.

"I'm not going to make any silly predictions," he said, "except that we will be more competitive than many people think."

Sadly, just a few days after signing one of the few vacant seats, the Scot doesn't appear to have completely learned his lesson.

According to the Daily Mail, Coulthard is now claiming that it was he that opted for a one-year deal with Red Bull Racing, and wants to keep his options open for 2006 in case the RBR1 isn't competitive.

Clearly he's not quite as confident as he would have us believe.

Dear David: Please do your utmost not to utter such comments, they will surely come back to haunt you.

On your day you can be magnificent. Sadly, that day might occur but once, or maybe twice, a season. Yes, you are the equal of almost any driver out there, but you have to be consistent, not merely great on occasions.

Furthermore, rather than issuing such worn out cliches, get to grips with the single-lap qualifying format (it's not going to go away), and do your talking on track.