The 2006 Monaco Grand Prix will forever hold a special place in Red Bull's history. David Coulthard, the experienced Scotsman who had taken a chance on the fledgling energy drinks outfit, crossed the line in third to hand the team a milestone result on the streets of Monte Carlo.
It was Coulthard's first podium since the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, ending a drought that had stretched across over two full seasons and then some.
His route to the rostrum was aided by Jarno Trulli's late hydraulic failure in the Toyota, but Red Bull were not about to quibble over the manner in which the result arrived.
The weekend carried an added layer of theatre. Red Bull had struck a promotional deal for the Hollywood blockbuster Superman Returns, and Coulthard donned a Superman cape on the podium as part of the tie-in.
The cape, however, was the product of a wager between driver and team boss Christian Horner: if Coulthard made the podium, he could wear the cape, but Horner would have to leap naked into the Red Bull Energy Station's swimming pool.
"I got nervous as David moved through the field, but it was worth getting wet for this result," Horner grinned afterwards. True to his word, Horner took the plunge, using Coulthard's cape to preserve at least a shred of modesty.
Beyond the celebrations, the result carried genuine historical weight. It was Red Bull Racing's first podium in Formula 1, a moment that, as Horner later reflected, set the tone for the team's irreverent culture.
It also marked Ferrari's first podium as a customer engine supplier since the 2003 United States Grand Prix, when Sauber achieved the feat running Ferrari power badged as Petronas.
At the front, Fernando Alonso, now at Aston Martin, claimed his first Monaco victory for Renault, while Juan Pablo Montoya finished second for McLaren in what proved to be his final career podium.
Originally published by RacingNews365 —
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