His team-mate may be quick, but David Coulthard believes experience is equally important to F1 success
McLaren Mercedes driver David Coulthard believes his age and experience stand him in good stead for this year's championship chase, despite his new team-mate Kimi Raikkonen showing he has the raw speed to mount a serious challenge too.
The young Finn, who replaced fellow countryman Mika Hakkinen at the McLaren camp this year, pledged to fight David Coulthard and beat him. Early signs in testing have shown the 22-year-old is well and truly on the pace when he broke the lap record during a run at Valencia, Spain last week.
But Coulthard has responded by arguing that speed is not the be all and end all in Formula One and that age and experience are just as important to the full package of a successful Grand Prix driver.
"Kimi is going to be quick, but so am I," the Scot asserted at the launch of the MP4-17 in Barcelona on Saturday.
"We will both be pushing to gain an advantage over the other - but when it comes to improving the car, if the team want an opinion it will be me who they come to because I carry the experience.
"In the build-up to the season, I've been able to tell the team where we were weak last year and which areas need improving - whereas Kimi can not do that.
"We'll have to see what sort of advantage that gives me."
But the Scot still believes bringing Kimi into the team was not a gamble and that the speed he is exhibiting is an essential prerequisite of any professional driver and that experience will duly follow.
"I don't see that bringing in Kimi is a risk," he said. "He is clearly very quick, and that's the basis for everything in a racing driver. He has plenty of time to learn the other things you need."
copied from
www.f1i.com
I think experience is good to develop the car but in racing? Nah..i think he only gave these comments becuase he's scared!
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