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Ecclestone favours Coulthard`s move from McLaren
Silverstone, July 12: Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone believes David Coulthard should leave McLaren to inject a new lease of life into his career.
Silverstone, July 12: Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone believes David Coulthard should leave McLaren to inject a new lease of life into his career.
Coulthard is on course for his worst season since he joined McLaren in 1996. And Ecclestone feels the Scot could benefit from a change of scenery.
"Maybe if David did move it would be good for him. He feels too comfortable at McLaren. That would shake him up," said Ecclestone. "He has been driving for a team winning world championships. If he does leave, he has to go to a team capable of winning. That is not so easy.
"David has good talent and he works hard. He just needs the motivation and a change might give him that."
Coulthard has admitted that he still has work to do to get the best out of Formula One's new one-lap qualifying system. A series of poor grid positions have all but wrecked Coulthard's title chances this season and the Scot says he has had difficulty finding the right balance.
"I need to be more aggressive in certain areas and not so in others," Coulthard said. "There's no question it hasn't flowed in qualifying this year. Not in all sessions, but a number of them," he added. "Clearly if you have not been performing in a certain area it would be irresponsible not to look at it. And until I am doing solid qualifying performances, I am not going to be entirely happy.
"The one-lap format is tricky for all, and some may have a better record at it so far this year, but a lot of others have flown off the circuit.
"My team-mate has started on the front row three times, but he's also started on the back row a couple of times.
"I haven't quite had those extremes, I've been more in the middle."
Coulthard has been on the front row only once this season and until last weekend's French Grand Prix had made mistakes in six consecutive races. The series of poor race results that have followed have left him way off the pace in the championship battle - Coulthard is 35 points behind leader Michael Schumacher with a maximum of just 60 still available. But he insists that his title challenge is not quite over this year yet.
"It's going to take a lot to turn around the season because of the way the points work but I will continue to do my best," Coulthard said. "Clearly on some occasions that hasn't been good enough but I don't believe it's because of a lack of talent. It's about not harnessing that talent at the correct time."
Bureau Report
Coulthard is on course for his worst season since he joined McLaren in 1996. And Ecclestone feels the Scot could benefit from a change of scenery.
"Maybe if David did move it would be good for him. He feels too comfortable at McLaren. That would shake him up," said Ecclestone. "He has been driving for a team winning world championships. If he does leave, he has to go to a team capable of winning. That is not so easy.
"David has good talent and he works hard. He just needs the motivation and a change might give him that."
Coulthard has admitted that he still has work to do to get the best out of Formula One's new one-lap qualifying system. A series of poor grid positions have all but wrecked Coulthard's title chances this season and the Scot says he has had difficulty finding the right balance.
"I need to be more aggressive in certain areas and not so in others," Coulthard said. "There's no question it hasn't flowed in qualifying this year. Not in all sessions, but a number of them," he added. "Clearly if you have not been performing in a certain area it would be irresponsible not to look at it. And until I am doing solid qualifying performances, I am not going to be entirely happy.
"The one-lap format is tricky for all, and some may have a better record at it so far this year, but a lot of others have flown off the circuit.
"My team-mate has started on the front row three times, but he's also started on the back row a couple of times.
"I haven't quite had those extremes, I've been more in the middle."
Coulthard has been on the front row only once this season and until last weekend's French Grand Prix had made mistakes in six consecutive races. The series of poor race results that have followed have left him way off the pace in the championship battle - Coulthard is 35 points behind leader Michael Schumacher with a maximum of just 60 still available. But he insists that his title challenge is not quite over this year yet.
"It's going to take a lot to turn around the season because of the way the points work but I will continue to do my best," Coulthard said. "Clearly on some occasions that hasn't been good enough but I don't believe it's because of a lack of talent. It's about not harnessing that talent at the correct time."
Bureau Report