Brakes on Coulthard’s Formula future

DAVID COULTHARD’S Formula One fate looked to have been confirmed yesterday following a report that McLaren team-mate Kimi Raikkonen had been offered a new contract.

The Finn will partner Juan Pablo Montoya in 2005 when the Colombian makes the switch from Williams leaving Coulthard searching for a new drive.

Raikkonen was told McLaren were taking up their option on his services during last week’s test in Jerez, according to a report in the Autosport magazine which has been confirmed by other F1 sources.

The team would not comment on the claim but the decision, which is expected to be formally announced mid-way through the year, will not come as a surprise.

Coulthard’s place came under threat when it was announced last year that Montoya would be joining the team at the end of this season.

McLaren boss Ron Dennis did make an attempt to prise Montoya away for this year but was rebuffed by Williams.

“There was never a chance that we would let him go early,” said Frank Williams recently.

“Juan’s a winner. Why would we want to oblige Ron, to take David Coulthard? Out of the question.”

The 32-year-old Scot is likely to target Toyota and Jaguar as his best hopes of staying in Formula One with a return to Williams, where he started his career in 1994 following the death of Brazil’s Ayrton Senna, highly unlikely.

Meanwhile Belgium’s Bas Leinders will drive a Formula One car for the first time when he tests for Jordan in Barcelona next week.

Leinders, who finished third in the Nissan World Series last year, will take to the cockpit next Wednesday as Jordan hit the track for the first time this year.

Jordan have still to announce their driver line-up for the 2004 season and although Leinders has not been regarded as one of the candidates, he could be in line for a third driver role when Belgium returns to the calendar in August.

Jordan will announce shortly the other drivers for the remaining days of the four-day test.

The Silverstone-based team, looking for drivers who bring sponsorship, have been in talks with veteran Dutchman Jos Verstappen.

Verstappen, who drove for Minardi last year, would bring about £5million with him. He visited the factory last week where he is believed to have been shown the new EJ14 car.

If Verstappen gets the seat, the likely contenders for second place could be filled by a Brit with Ralph Firman, who competed for the team last year, and former Toyota driver Allan McNish.