Nightmare Race for F1's Milestone Men

David Coulthard, Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Jos Verstappen reached Formula One career milestones today in a European Grand Prix they would sooner forget.

McLaren's Coulthard and Sauber's Frentzen chalked up 150 race starts, while Minardi's Dutch driver Verstappen reached his century. None scored points.

Coulthard had the most frustrating time, running in fifth place until three laps from the finish fighting Spaniard Fernando Alonso for fourth. The Scot then careered off the track in a cloud of dust and laid the blame squarely at Alonso's door.

"I was forced to take evasive action to avoid running into the back of him as he braked incredibly early and that was the end of my race," said Coulthard in a team statement.

"I have my own views on the incident, which I will discuss privately with Alonso, but at the end of the day it's for the stewards to decide."

Frentzen, from nearby Moenchengladbach, was ninth - missing out on a point by one place and continuing one of Formula One's more complicated jinxes.

The German has always finished the European Grand Prix in the points when it has not been held at the Nurburgring. He has also always finished in the points at the circuit if the race there is not called the European Grand Prix.

But he has never scored a point in the European Grand Prix at the Nurburgring, with five retirements and a 13th place to go with Sunday's result. Verstappen also has a dismal record at the European Grand Prix, having never scored a point in the race, and that very poor run continued true to form.

"That was probably one of the worst races I've ever had," said the Dutchman. "The car had so much oversteer and so little grip, it was like driving on ice. I just couldn't do anything.

"I pushed as hard as I could for the first half of the race, but then just decided the best strategy was going to be to try to bring the car home in one piece."