DC closes on best season of career

The Scot has finished third in the points table four times, but with only the Japanese GP left to go this year, he looks set for his best season ever in Formula 1.

After Indy, Coulthard has 61 points and Barrichello 54. The seven-point difference means the Scot can tie up the runners-up spot if he finishes anywhere in the top four at Suzuka. For Barrichello, nothing but victory will suffice.

It was a long overdue slice of good fortune that gave Coulthard a place on the podium in the US GP. He has suffered a series of misfortunes this season but this time it was Barrichello's turn to be hit by bad luck.

The McLaren driver was heading for fourth with Barrichello second when the Brazilian slowed for the final four laps with smoke pouring from his engine. Coulthard charged past on the penultimate tour of the 73 lap race and a few hundred yards later Barrichello's engine seized.

"I was catching Rubens," said Coulthard. "I didn't expect it to be easy to overtake but I pushed the pace as much as I could and was very fortunate at being able to take advantage of another's misfortunes to come third.

"It is never nice to accept points that way that but I have had a lot of misfortune in my career, so I take points any way they come.

"The car had a lot of oversteer. I do not deserve to be third in terms of pace. I feel fortunate today because I didn't overtake anyone and I still went from seventh to third. It was a very personal battle for me and the car."

Coulthard paid tribute to McLaren and team mate Mika Hakkinen, who won the race. "I'm happy for Mika. We spoke before the race and he said he was not sure of his chances of winning. But I said I was pretty confident we could win with the tyres we had. After what happened [with the warm-up penalty] it was justice that he turned it around."