Coulthard Wants Full Support from McLaren

David Coulthard believes he needs as much backing from McLaren as they gave Mika Hakkinen in the past if he is to beat Michael Schumacher to the Formula One world title.

"Mika enjoyed a lot of support from Ron (Dennis) and other key people in the team, which he deserved because he was a fantastically quick racing driver," the Scot said at the Autosport International show.

"But that's what I need as well because Michael has the whole Ferrari team built up around him," added Coulthard, who finished runner-up, 58 points behind four times champion Schumacher in 2001.

"If you don't feel good, you don't perform. You need to be in the right environment and have the right people around you pulling for your side so that when the battle is on you know they're going to support you. That's where the team can help the driver a lot."

Hakkinen, World Champion in 1998 and 1999, has taken a year out of Formula One to spend more time with his young family. The Finn, who set a record partnership with Coulthard at McLaren of six seasons together, was seen as being far closer to team principal Dennis than Coulthard.

He has been replaced by compatriot Kimi Raikkonen, an impressive novice at Sauber in 2001 and officially starting the season on equal terms to Coulthard although the Scot has experience on his side. Coulthard, 30, vowed to be Schumacher's major rival again this season, which starts in Australia on March 3.

"Just because I haven't won a Championship in the past, doesn't mean I can't win one in the future," he said. The Scot tested with 22-year-old Raikkonen in Barcelona this week and is due to help launch the new McLaren next weekend.

"You'd be brave to bet against Ferrari being the benchmark, but we will win races," he said in Spain this week. "It's just whether we do it often enough to challenge for the Championship. None of us knows but you can't write anyone off until the first three races, which are a good indication of the year ahead."

Speaking of Raikkonen, he added: "I've had two nights out with him so far and I'm very happy with the way the relationship's developing. But it's very easy to get along when it's not competitive.

"He's more than capable of doing the job and we'll inevitably be sizing each other up until we get to the races."