THIS IS DAVID COULTHARD

David Coulthard strides into London’s Montcalm Hotel looking as sharp as ever. Black jacket, shirt and jeans capped by an increasingly silvery head of hair, unconsciously the colour palette of West McLaren Mercedes, the team for which he scored 12 of his 13 grands prix career wins.

As is always the case when on duty, the smile is ever-present. He shows genuine interest in everyone around him, remembers people’s names, shakes hands firmly and, unlike many a driver, doesn’t glance at his watch every few minutes. Attending yet another corporate event, he seems happy to be there.

DC is as busy as ever. He may be known to many as a former grand prix driver but DC’s focus is on the present rather than the past: he’s president of the BRDC, non-executive chairman of W Series, co-commentator on Channel 4’s F1 coverage in the UK as well as a brand ambassador for Red Bull and seven other well-known companies. One of those is AMG Mercedes which says much about his ability to sustain harmony and balance in his business relationships.

One of his companies, Whisper Films, is among Europe’s fastest-growing media production organisations, now employing 200 full time staff. Another, Velocity Experiences, works with a range of clients across the motorsport industry.

With the British Grand Prix just a few days away he has plenty on his mind. In three days’ time he will stand alongside Czech entrepreneur Karel Komárek at Silverstone and announce the ‘More Then Equal’ initiative which, in partnership with Hintsa Performance, aims to develop a female F1 driver, creating a pathway for their development.

GP Racing: You are possibly one of the busiest ex-Formula 1 drivers around. What drives that when presumably you could be lying on a beach?

I think it must come from the environment in which I was brought up. My parents worked together