Coulthard's chances over?

(15-Jul-98) - McLaren boss Ron Dennis has admitted that his team's policy
of giving equal status to its two drivers could cost it this year's World
Championship. If Dennis allows his two drivers to continue to duel on the
race track it could end in poor results for both.

Suspicion grows that as the points gap between Coulthard and Hakkinen
increases, Coulthard will be forced to play second fiddle to his team-mate.

Officially McLaren's drivers are of equal status until one of them no
longer has a mathematical chance of winning the title, but Dennis implied
that he may eventually ask Coulthard to back Hakkinen up before the Scot
has lost all hope of the title.

"The situation could arise that we ask one driver to sacrifice his own
performance and so use the cars strategically in the World
Championship," he said, "but we're not yet at the stage where
we're prepared to adopt that strategy."

Dennis refused to outline specific circumstances where that situation could arise.

The 51-year-old also admitted that his relationship with Hakkinen is
particularly close, but he denied continuing speculation that it leads
McLaren to subconsciously favour Hakkinen over Coulthard.

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