Must-win for McLaren

Coulthard believes McLaren have yet to fulfill their potential

BBC motor racing correspondent Jonathan Legard reports on McLaren's race to catch-up with Ferrari.

If Michael Schumacher is surprised by the size of his lead over McLaren, think how Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard must be feeling.

I still believe we have the quickest car. We just have to make it work.

McLaren's David Coulthard

Nobody believed they would have it easy at the head of the field, but few thought Ferrari would make it so difficult.

But Coulthard, last year's British Grand Prix winner, remains upbeat and defiant on his return to Silverstone.

"I still believe we have the quickest car. We just have to make it work," he says.

Coulthard: McLaren still fighting

"We're a little closer to the edge because of that extra speed."

Close to the edge, or over it?

So far this season McLaren's pursuit of speed and performance has cost them dearly.

Two retirements in Australia. Disqualification in Brazil. Defeat at Imola.

On all three occasions Schumacher's been reliable and victorious.

McLaren's last chance?

Easter weekend at Silverstone is the Woking team's chance to rise again to Ferrari's strongest title challenge in years.

"We can't afford to drop too far behind," says Coulthard. "We have to score maximum points."

"Ferrari have had the perfect start to the year but remember they chipped away at a big lead a few years ago and were still fighting for the title at the very last race of the season."

Schumacher: Confident

That was in 1998 when Hakkinen led Schumacher by 22 points after the Monaco Grand Prix, round six of the championship.

Heading to the final race in Japan, Schumacher was only four points adrift.

What's different this time is Ferrari's all round strength from the off and McLaren's unexpected unreliability.

Even if Hakkinen won the next six races, it's quite possible Schumacher would chase him home in second.

That would leave both tied on 66 points with eight races remaining.

But that equation relies heavily on McLaren not making mistakes or hitting trouble and there's no guarantee of either at the moment.

Ferrari confident

Schumacher is brimming with confidence, and has no time for McLaren's claims of superiority.

There is no danger of us being complacent.

Michael Schumacher

"We won Imola in a straight battle," he says.

"I'm not saying we are better but we are very close. And we are making the maximum out of our opportunities."

"There is no danger of us being complacent."

" The game is over only when I have mathematically won the championship.Until then you never know what happens."

Schumacher has also made a point of playing down last year's accident which broke his leg and wrecked his title bid.

But in the wake of Ricardo Zonta's accident in testing at Silverstone last week, when he crashed at the same corner, Schumacher has called for further changes to Stowe after consultation with circuit officials and the FIA.

It remains to be seen what they are, how easily they can be implemented and how effective they will be.