Coulthard says McLaren seat is safe

Hakkinen said in Monte Carlo that he had another few weeks before he had to make any firm decisions about a return from his sabbatical year. But Bernie Ecclestone hinted in a throwaway line that he thought the Finn would return. McLaren team boss Ron Dennis, meanwhile, said only that having Hakkinen, Coulthard and Kimi Raikkonen vying for two race seats "would be a nice problem to have."

Coulthard, however, added in Montreal: "Car No3 (his) is contracted for the future so there's no question of trying to fit two drivers into that!"

Then, asked what feeling he himself got from Hakkinen in Monaco, DC straight-batted the question with: "Feeling? I didn't feel him. He was missing those two round bits that I normally like to play with..."

On a personal level, Coulthard said that a less competitive year at McLaren had not blunted his ambition.

"Your goal doesn't change, that's a constant, but your realistic expectations change from circuit to circuit. The feel-good factor of being quick or quickest at most of the tracks isn't there, but you know that the team can do it, that the key ingredients and personnel are there. You just have to be patient."