Coulthard Hopes for Straight Fight at Imola

The collision course taken by Michael Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya this season could play into David Coulthard's hands if it continues.

But the McLaren driver, who needs every point he can get after taking just four so far to World Champion Schumacher's 24 after three races, says he wants to beat his rivals in a straight fight.

"I wouldn't say carry on crashing because genuinely your goal is to win, beating everyone on the track. That is the ultimate goal," the Scot told reporters ahead of Sunday's San Marino Formula One Grand Prix.

"If you are just happy to take wins any way, if that's your view on life, then you'd be quite happy to cheat old people out of money and all that sort of thing."

Colombian Montoya, in a Williams, and Ferrari's Schumacher have started the last two out of three races this season on the front row and have barged into each other on the opening lap in Malaysia and Brazil.

Coulthard was runner-up overall last season and has a good record at Imola, winning in 1998 and twice finishing as runner-up. But he has not celebrated a Grand Prix victory since Austria last May.

"This is about pitting yourself against the best people in the world...and beating them," he continued. "You can't go to race weekends saying okay, if the two crash into each other there's a good chance of getting 10 points here.

"But it goes without saying if they crash into each other, they're not on the track and then it increases your chances of winning."

Confusing Message

Schumacher took his second win of the season in Brazil after Montoya hit the back of the Ferrari in a controversial incident that the Colombian claimed was caused by the German's unfair tactics.

Coulthard, who has had several run-ins with Schumacher in the past and is not alone in taking issue with his rival's swerving starts, sided with Montoya.

"My understanding is that you are allowed to make a defensive move," he said. "But you are not allowed to make a move that hinders the opportunity for the car trying to overtake you to overtake you.

"I've watched that incident (in Brazil) repeatedly and to me Michael clearly makes a deliberate swerving manoeuvre to the left after his initial manoeuvre to block Montoya," added the Scot.

"That isn't what the regulations say you are allowed to do. That could at least have been treated as an incident, (the stewards could) maybe have called him up and talked about it," he said. "But it was a clear 'no incident' and that sends out a confusing message."