NO VROOM, DAMON

David Coulthard last night defended his McLaren corner by telling Damon Hill: "I'm a better prospect than you."

On the eve of today's Canad-ian Grand Prix, Coulthard went to war with Hill - currently the WORST driver in the championship on his 1997 record - by trying to railroad the world champion's bid to move to McLaren next year.

The two British drivers used to be team-mates at Williams, but Coulthard believes he is the best man for the job at McLaren.

McLaren are just one of five teams linked to Hill as the TWR Arrows racer seeks to put his career back on track after a nightmare season.

But Coulthard, winner of the season's opening race in Australia, hit out: "I don't feel threatened by Hill. I think I proved when I was at Williams that I have the speed to be quicker than him.

"And at this stage of my career I don't feel he can bring anything to the team other than the fact that he has won several more races.

"I'd be more worried if there was talk of Michael Schumacher coming here. For the long term I think I am a better prospect than Damon."

Hill won 21 races in his Williams-Renault days. But this year he has failed to finish in all six races, leaving him bottom of the Grand Prix pile.

In recent weeks Hill and his advisers have been talking to McLaren, Prost, Benetton, Sauber and Jordan in a desperate bid to get a better drive.

His year has been so bad that he is in danger of setting the worst ever record in Formula One for a competing world champion. No other driver has failed to win a point in the defence of his title.

But Coulthard, winner of two races in 47 starts, has little sympathy.

He said: "No one forced Damon to sign a contract with Arrows. You make your own bed and you lie in it.

"Damon is a very good racing driver and I think all through his career he has been given an unnecessary level of stick for certain shortcomings in his wheel-to-wheel racing.

"But he has not been able to turn around the fortunes of the Arrows team.

"I won't be the first to know if I'm staying or leaving, but at the moment I don't see why McLaren would want to change me."

Johnnie Herbert, at Sauber, is another Briton who will not be looking anxiously over his shoulder.

He said: "I've heard the rumours about Damon, but I have another year on my contract so I'm not worried. I don't know what Damon will do."

Irishman Eddie Irvine's future at Ferrari is still unclear, but team- mate and double world champion Schumacher would never allow Hill on board while he's around.

Hill will need a good dose of the feelgood factor in Montreal today. Unlike England's football and cricket teams, he has had little to celebrate in recent weeks.

Eight months ago he was on top of the world in Japan after winning his first world championship in the Williams-Renault.

But now Hill doesn't have a roaring tiger in his Arrows tank - more like a yelping yak in his Yamaha engine.

Right from day one, the gremlins were at work.

Arrows were even late for their own media launch. The car had to be rolled out in near-darkness at Silverstone after engineers struggled to get it ready in time.

Worse followed in Australia on the opening day of the 1997 season when a two-bob throttle sensor failed and Hill didn't even make the start.

From that day it has been hell on wheels for Hill. An oil blaze drove him nuts in Brazil, then oil pressure made him cry in Argentina.

Hill had to start the San Marino Grand Prix from the pit lane, and in his desperation to make up places gave Prost's Shinji Nakano a spanking and ended up with a one-race suspended ban.

He wasn't exactly singing in the rain either in Monte Carlo, when he got caught up in a puddle fight with Eddie Irvine and Mika Salo and lost a wheel into the bargain after just two circuits.

Hill tried so hard to reign in Spain last time out when he "powered" his Arrows to sixth place amidst all the pit-stop mayhem - only for that yak in his Yamaha to blow the oil pressure again.

But team boss Tom Walkinshaw hasn't yet given up hope on the world champion making his mark - and staying in the team next year.

He is desperately searching for a new engine and has brought in top designer John Barnard.

Walkinshaw said: "Damon knew it was going to be tough at the beginning. He is fully committed to being here for the year, good or bad, and we're committed to making it as good as possible for him.

"I don't see any truth in this talk of Damon leaving the team early. It would be totally out of character for the guy even to contemplate it.

"I think Damon is one of the two or three fastest drivers in Formula One and I'm really pleased that we got him this year - and we want to keep him."

Hill's decision to chase pound notes instead of Grand Prix points backfired badly after opting for a pounds 4.5million deal with Arrows.

That works out at pounds 33,582 a LAP so far - nice for the bank balance, but it does little for your reputation.

Derek Warwick, a former Arrows driver, told the Sunday Mirror late last year that Hill would not win a single point this season and would probably use the team as a launch-pad for a move elsewhere.

There are even rumours that Frank Williams might take him back - but the team owner would have to meet Damon's wage demands, which would leave both parties with a lot of humble pie to eat.

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