Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard joined Off The Ball to discuss his career, and thoughts turned to a close shave that he feels gave him some insight into death.

The conversation came to pass as Coulthard spoke of a situation test driving for Williams in 1995, soon after the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger.

With the potentially-fatal consequences of one wrong turn abundantly clear, Coulthard took some solace from what happened next.

"For me, it was a bit of a revelation. I was testing in 1995, it was after Ayrton had passed, and I was in my first full season at Williams," said Coulthard.

"We had an issue in our test and I crashed at Club Corner [at Silverstone] and as was the spec of the sport at that time, there were no tyres in front of the wooden sleepers, and we didn't have the head and neck support system that we have today.

"My head hit the side of the car, my helmet was cracked and I was knocked out."

Worrying for all those watching on, medical assistance was soon on hand.

"You come round [...] and you are trying to get your head around where you are.

"My first thought was to look at my watch because I was convinced that the chief medical officer on that day would not allow me to drive again if I didn't know what time it was.

"The doctor, as it happened, only asked me if I was ok, to which I said yes."

David Coulthard poses for a portrait during Red Bull Cape Town Circuit, South Africa, June 2, 2019. // Craig Kolesky/Red Bull Content Pool // AP-1ZHAFZGS52111 // Usage for editorial use only //

"That evening, reflecting on the crash, it seemed to me that being knocked out could be like what happened with Ayrton, or Roland Ratzenberger in 1994, where they never came back to consciousness.

"So the point leading up to the point that I was knocked out, I felt like I was doing my job. I was trying to control the car, I knew that something wasn't quite right. But I wasn't full of fear, and I certainly wasn't screaming as I went towards the barrier.

Ayrton Senna, Rothmans Williams Renault

"I wanted to share that with my mother because with Ayrton, Roland Ratzenberger and any televised sport where there could be a fatality - then people are watching somebody go towards their death.

"I wanted my mother to know that if that ever happened to me in a Grand Prix, that I would not be full of fear at that moment, I would be full of focus on driving.

"I thought that would give her some comfort, but I got half-way through the conversation and she said 'Oh son, I don't want to listen to this!'

"It was a revelation to me, and I will carry that to the grave, whenever that time comes."

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