Coulthard misses out on point

A clash with team-mate Kimi Raikkonen cost David Coulthard the chance of a points in the Italian Grand Prix. Coulthard was forced to pit for a replacement nose cone after damaging his front wing on the rear of the Finn's car in the confusion at the start

Sep 15, 2002, 3:18 PM

"After the start at the first chicane I ran into the back of Kimi as he slowed to avoid a car in front of him, and I wasn't quick enough to react," admitted Coulthard. "I had to go into the pits and get a new nose and then spent the rest of the race catching up."

Coulthard dropped to the back of the field and had made his way back up to seventh place by the end of the race behind Olivier Panis.

"I was very careful to let the leaders through when I was lapped, which lost me time," said Coulthard of his charge through the pack. "In hindsight that probably cost us a point."

Raikkonen ran strongly in the top six and looked set to finish ahead of Eddie Irvine, who took third, before retiring with an engine problem.

"If I had been able to finish the race, I would have been third today," lamented the Finn. "But it's one of those things out of my control."