Coulthard aims to break pole jinx

No-one has won from pole since Mika Hakkinen in the Hungarian Grand Prix last August, 11 races ago. Coulthard, still nursing three broken ribs after his dramatic plane crash before the Spanish Grand Prix, gave his championship chances a massive boost as he out-guessed his rivals in the changing weather conditions to claim top spot.

'It's incredible that no-one has won from pole for that long, I just hope it changes this weekend,' he said. 'Maybe it is because the starts are more crucial, strategy is so important and everything is so close these days.'

The Scot admitted that his preparation for this race was far from perfect. He was forced to sit out the Jerez test that took place last week while he gave his injuries time to heal.

'I have not been able to train in a normal way because I'm resting my ribs but I have been able to train on the bike and do cardiovascular work,' he explained.

'It's a little bit frustrating but an enforced break is sometimes a good thing. It certainly won't affect me this weekend.'

Coulthard is currently third in the championship with 20 points, two behind Hakkinen and 16 behind championship leader Michael Schumacher.