Coulthard vows to come back fighting
David Coulthard has vowed that the battle for this year's Formula 1 World Championship goes on despite surrendering another 10 points to his rival and standings' leader Michael Schumacher in Sunday's French Grand Prix
The Scot slipped 31 points behind Schumacher as he finished fourth, taking three points, while the German romped to victory in what he had rated his hardest race of the year.
With a more competitive McLaren and improved Bridgestone tyres, the Scot said he could have been battling for victory. But his hopes died when he bagged a 10-second stop-go penalty halfway through the race for speeding in the pitlane.
Schumacher claimed his victory was a "big step" towards his fourth championship while Coulthard refused to see the defeat as a watershed result.
"The championship hasn't been won or lost at Magny Cours," said Coulthard. "The points gap between Schumacher and myself has increased and the situation is difficult, but not hopeless.
"There are still seven races to go and I just take them one at a time because you can never guess what will happen. I'm now going to concentrate on Silverstone - the home Grand Prix for me and my team.
It was a miniscule mistake - just 3mph over the limit for the final few metres of the pitlane - when he was on the radio talking to the team. But the extra stop cost him the chance to battle for victory.
"I'm disappointed to have made the mistake," he admitted. "But you have to push in every area of the track and that includes the pitlane. The fact is this has cost me points and ruined by race. It is a shame because we were competitive today but I was just a bit too eager to come off the button at the exit. But I have to face the consequences of my mistakes.
"Michael's doing a good job he is having the luck but has also got a good package with the Ferrari and when you put all that together it is not surprising he is getting good results."
Coulthard has 47 points, Schumacher 78 and Ralf Schumacher 31.
Previous article
Schuey: French win 'big step' to title
Next article
Ralf was Asked by Team to Move Over for Montoya
The other notable Monza escape that F1 should learn from
OPINION: The headlines were dominated by the Italian Grand Prix crash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, who had the halo to thank for avoiding potentially serious injury. But two days earlier, Formula 1 had a lucky escape with a Monza pitlane incident that could also have had grave consequences
How Monza only added more questions to F1's sprint race conundrum
With two sprint races under its belt, Formula 1 must now consider its options for them going forward. While they've helped deliver exciting racing on Sundays, the sprints themselves have been somewhat lacking - creating yet another conundrum for F1 to solve...
Who should Alfa Romeo sign for 2022's F1 season?
OPINION: With Valtteri Bottas already signed up for 2022, all eyes are on the race for the second seat at Alfa Romeo next year. Antonio Giovinazzi is the current incumbent, but faces a tough competition from appealing short and long-term prospects
The "forced break" that was key to Ricciardo's Monza excellence
OPINION: Daniel Ricciardo has long been considered one of Formula 1’s elite drivers. But his struggles at McLaren since switching from Renault for 2021 have been painful to watch at times. Yet he’s recovered to banish those memories with a famous Monza win – built on a critically important foundation
How Verstappen is ruining his F1 title battle with Hamilton
OPINION: The Italian GP clash between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen followed a running theme in the 2021 Formula 1 title fight. Their close-quarters battles have often resulted in contact - and although Hamilton has shown a willingness to back off, Verstappen must learn to temper his aggression
Italian Grand Prix Driver Ratings
Two drivers produced maximum-score performances as, for the second year in a row, Monza threw up an unpredictable result that left several others ruing what might have been
Why Ricciardo was set for Monza F1 triumph even without Verstappen/Hamilton crash
The clash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton was the major flashpoint the 2021 Italian Grand Prix will be remembered for. Yet by this point, race leader Daniel Ricciardo had already done the hard work that would put him in position to end his and McLaren's lengthy win droughts, on a memorable afternoon in Monza
Why Italian GP success is on for McLaren even if Verstappen dominates
For the second time in 2021, McLaren will line up for the start of a grand prix from the first row. It knows it has the chance of “glory” if things go well for Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris at the start of the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, but even if they just maintain their grid positions, signs from the rest of the Monza weekend suggest success is very possible for Formula 1’s other orange army
