Coulthard set to stay

(28-Jul-98) - David Coulthard is set to stay with McLaren Mercedes next
year -- despite claims from team boss Ron Dennis that his future is
undecided.

Coulthard drove brilliantly in Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix, climbing from
last to second, but Dennis has said that he will sit down at the end of
this month to decide on whether he sticks with Coulthard and team-mate Mika
Hakkinen.

"Austria was probably David's best race," said Dennis. "It
was the ability to control yourself in those conditions, not overdrive and
choose your moment to overtake."

"David's chances of staying are as good as they ever were. The drivers
are everything we want them to be. They are team players. Before the end of
the month we shall sit down and the decision will not be emotional."

"We shall analyse the data, their performance and their availability.
We won't choose on this single performance, but how they have done over a
period of time."

But Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug was more forthcoming on whether
the team should keep Coulthard next year.

"I was fighting for Coulthard from the beginning," he explained.
"David is a bright guy and a smart guy. He feels the support of
McLaren and Mercedes and that makes a difference. If you invest in guys
they pay you back."

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