Coulthard Can be Champion, Says Jordan

Jordan boss Eddie Jordan believes McLaren driver David Coulthard can still win the championship this year despite a run of bad results which has allowed rival Michael Schumacher to edge clear of the Scot.

Coulthard lies 18 points behind Ferrari's Schumacher after eighth of the seventeen rounds of the championship completed, and the McLaren driver retired for the first time this season in Canada, ending a streak of ten consecutive finishes in the points.

McLaren and Jordan have been the teams most affected by problems with their launch control systems so far, with Coulthard having stalled twice in the last four races. If not for those problems, Coulthard would be much closer to championship lead, according to Jordan.

"The amalgamated problems that David Coulthard and Jordan have had with launch control are unbelievable and it's a pity because David could be very close to Michael Schumacher by now," Jordan told BBC. "He's still in with a chance, but he's been deprived of points which could have had him right up there.

"He was on pole for Monaco and then the engine expired on him in Montreal - these things happen. But there is a traditional lull when someone is going for the championship - it happened to Schumacher last year when his biggest opponent got very close to him.

"So I personally think he can do it."