Coulthard: Actions louder than words

David Coulthard wants to beat team-mate Hakkinen

By BBC Sport Online's Andrew Benson in Valencia

David Coulthard heads into the new Formula One season feeling he has a better chance than ever to win the world championship.

But he is still approaching the year with a realistic attitude.

Rather than start 2001 with bold predictions about how he is finally going to win the championship, the Scot prefers to underline just how difficult it is to come out on top over a 17-race, seven-month season.

Coulthard is determined to do his best to beat his McLaren team-mate Mika Hakkinen and Ferrari star Michael Schumacher.

But he wants to get on with trying to do it rather than talk about it.

Coulthard is relaxed ahead of the new season

"I feel good," he said. "But I'm very aware of the fact that if McLaren and Ferrari are still the top two teams I still have to beat Mika and Michael. And that job is still as difficult as it has always been.

I still feel like I am improving as a driver, and the results will prove whether that is enough this year or not.

"I feel a relaxed enthusiasm for the year, but there is no point in saying more than what's happened."

Coulthard's confidence is buoyed by the fact that he proved in 2000 that when he is at his best, he can beat both his rivals.

Coulthard was F1's most consistent front-runner in the middle of the season.

At McLaren's new season launch, he pointed to his superb victory in the French Grand Prix as evidence that he can beat the sport's established top two.

"My Magny-Cours victory was one of the hardest-fought wins of the year. I thought that was stunning," he said.

Coulthard was knocked back after that by a revival by Hakkinen.

The change in fortunes was aided by some strategic errors by McLaren in races on Coulthard's car, and internal changes in the team knocked his standing and confidence.

Things have been put in place so strategy problems and mistakes are less likely to happen

  David Coulthard

The Briton will not talk about what happened, but he says that he and McLaren have talked about the problem and that it will not happen again.

"The wind was taken out of my sails from Austria [the next race after France] and then there were some bad decisions and calls.

"I'm happier we have talked through all the scenarios with the team.

"Just as we have to analyse the mistakes the drivers make, so we have to look at the ones made by the team.

"Things have been put in place so strategy problems and mistakes are less likely to happen," he said.

Coulthard spent the winter testing and developing the car while Hakkinen stayed at home with his new baby, born in December.

The Scot has also used the Valencia launch to confirm that marriage plans to girlfriend Heidi Wichlinski remain on hold.

"You have to do whatever's best for you as a driver.

"I choose to drive in December because you can have a big influence on the way the team is going with the new car.

"That's your job. You've got to develop the car.

"But whatever the car is like, you know Mika's going to be able to drive it quickly."