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DC: Let's not get carried away

David Coulthard has warned McLaren not to get carried away with its promising early form in the Italian Grand Prix despite team-mate Kimi Raikkonen pipping the two Ferraris during the final practice session

McLaren has lifted itself into the fight for regular wins since it introduced its MP4-19B at the French Grand Prix and, despite winning its first race of the year in Belgium, Coulthard still believes it is too early to be confident about its chances this time out.

"I am not sure what today means, because obviously the times are more important tomorrow," he said. "That is where it counts if you are at the front.

"Today is encouraging if you are looking reasonably quick but if you remember Budapest we were really quick but then we were nowhere in the race. So we will just focus on our programme to find out where we are on tyres and set-up, and we will start getting excited if we are up there on Saturday."

Raikkonen had been quickest overall in Friday practice at the Hungarian Grand Prix but the team chose the wrong tyre for the rest of the weekend and was subsequently off the pace.

Speaking about his best time, Raikkonen said: "It was okay, but it wasn't perfect. We will try and improve the car a little bit for tomorrow."

Raikkonen also believed the team still had room for improvement this season - despite the stunning victory in Belgium.

"I don't think the win changes anything. We need to work harder and push harder because we are not at the level we should be. The reliability is not as good as it should be and of course we always try to improve the speed."

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