DC will keep fighting for title

His rival, Michael Schumacher, was allowed to increase his lead by another ten points.

"There's a long way to go in the world championship yet and anything could happen," insisted the Scot. "I can still win the world championship. I was 22 points behind before Monaco so the situation hasn't changed really," he continued.

Coulthard closed to within 12 points of Schumacher after the Monaco Grand Prix, where he won and Schumacher failed to finish.

Coulthard, therefore believes the setback is not insurmountable.

In fact, the World Championship could have been looking rather different, were it not for the penalties Coulthard has suffered this year. Six points were removed after the Brazilian Grand Prix due to a front wing infringement, and at least another six can be claimed to have been lost after the Canadian event last weekend.

Coulthard was given a stop-go penalty, which dropped him out of the points when his crew was judged to have contravened the rules at the start.

Had the penalties not been applied, Coulthard could be just ten points behind Schumacher.

"We've got to examine what happened, refocus and regroup and come back from this even stronger," he insisted.

"I've had bigger disappointments that this in my Formula One career. It's an opportunity lost but we'll survive."

McLaren will be testing this week, at Magny Cours alongside many of the F1 teams in preparation for the forthcoming French Grand Prix.