Grapevine: Coulthard: Too Much Pressure on England

British Formula One driver David Coulthard said he believes England's defeat to Brazil in the soccer World Cup is down to the weight of expectation placed upon the nation.

Coulthard, a Scot, who is Britain's leading driver in Formula One, watched the 2-1 defeat in his McLaren team's motorhome at the Nurburgring before Friday's practice sessions for Sunday's European Grand Prix.

He said that the pressure placed upon England is greater than he has felt in his quest to be World Champion and added that he believes expectations have been set too high.

"You can understand that (the media) create excitement but I wonder whether it puts too much pressure on them to perform," Coulthard told reporters after he set the quickest time in the practice sessions.

"Maybe I am completely wrong but I was feeling nervous for them in a way that I never feel nervous when I'm racing a car. I'm not really aware of pressure when I get in the car so maybe there is too much pressure on them. I couldn't help but feel the tension and excitement in the last ten minutes."

Coulthard, who last year finished in second place behind German Michael Schumacher in the Championship, said that he feels British talent is suffering because of the expectations placed upon them.

Butt of Jokes

The 31-year-old was the butt of jokes from Brazilian rivals Rubens Barrichello, Felipe Massa and Enrique Bernoldi but proved he can perform when not pressurised as he topped the times.

And Coulthard claimed that the outcome of the World Cup quarter-final could have been different if Sven-Goran Eriksson's England had not been pressurised by the media and the general public.

"Naturally it is a disappointment England not winning but the realisation is that there are a lot of Brazilians involved in Formula One and they have been rubbing the noses in the Brits," he added.

"I sometimes wonder whether the expectations of the nation and the publicity that is generated around the English team is just too much.

"I wonder if it is the same for Brazil and these other teams because even if the players are locked away and they are not seeing the newspapers and the television, the families are and they must talk to their families.

"It has got to have an effect. I wonder if we just need to tone it down a bit and say 'you guys know what you can do' and just build on that."