Matter of honour for Coulthard

Scotland's top driver is showing even more courage than normal, as Jamie Edwardes witnessed during the qualifying in Spain World Champion-ship leader Michael Schumacher threw down the gauntlet to McLaren by grabbing pole position at the Circuit de Catalunya for today's Spanish Grand Prix. It is the first time a Ferrari has started from the No.1 slot for the Spanish event since Niki Lauda in 1975. However, despite the performance of double world champ Schumacher, who pipped Mika Hakkinen by just 0.078 of a second, it was the efforts of the man who lies second in the title race 20 points behind the German which attracted most attention.

Exactly four days earlier, David Coulthard had stood on the grass at Lyon Airport watching the smouldering wreckage of a Lear 35A jet after it had plunged into the French countryside having suffered engine failure at 30,000 feet. While the Scot, his American fiancee Heidi Wichlinksi and his personal trainer Andy Matthews, all escaped injury by escaping through the mangled fuselage, the two pilots died instantly.

What effect that tragedy will have had on the 29-year-old from Twynholm we will probably never know, but anyone who believes he was heartless in deciding to strap on his racing helmet yesterday and hurtle his Mercedes-powered car round the 2.937-mile circuit to continue his quest to become the first Scottish World Formula One champion since Jackie Stewart in 1973 should think again.

Coulthard, who collected his second successive victory in the British Grand Prix a fortnight ago, is accepted as being one of the kindest and most sincere drivers on the circuit. His credentials are impeccable and he is respected by almost everyone you speak to in Formula One. He doesn't do things just to grab the headlines. He is thoughtful and caring, but is also fiercely determined to win the drivers' championship.

That determination, allied to his peak physical condition and his steely mental strength, were prime factors in his decision to race on. The overwhelming reason, though, was his respect for the two pilots who died in Tuesday's crash.

"Like the pilots, my job is not a nine-to-five job," he explained before yesterday's qualifying session. "Neither their job, nor mine, are like normal jobs the majority of people have. The two men who died were fully committed and enthusiastic towards their careers, exactly as I am. After thinking about the situation and talking it over with Heidi and my father Duncan, I came to the conclusion that the best way to honour the two pilots and pay my respects to their families was to race this weekend and go on and try to win the championship. I am sure this is exactly what they would have preferred.

"I did not rush into the decision to race. I took my time, but after evaluating how my mind and body felt, and considering what I believed the two pilots would have wanted, I decided to race on. I never thought I was going to die on Tuesday and now that I'm here today, I'm determined to do everything I can to win the world title."

His bid, though, to grab pole position for today's race on the circuit where he made his racing debut for Williams six years ago, just days after the death of his friend, Ayrton Senna at Imola, were essentially thwarted by fuel-feeder problems on his McLaren.

After setting the fastest time on the first sector of his opening lap he was forced to abort and bring the car into the McLaren garage where team boss Ron Dennis looked on frantically as technicians beavered away to cure the problem. Coulthard in contrast chatted quietly with his chief mechanic.

Back out on the circuit, and with 19 minutes left, he posted the third quickest time behind Schumacher and his McLaren team-mate, double world champ Hakkinen. Minutes later, though, Coulthard was relegated to fourth when Rubens Barrichello romped past him in his Ferrari. A final surge from DC saw him close the gap to just 6/ 1000ths of a second, but he stayed fourth.

"Of course I'd have preferred to be further up the grid, but things didn't work out the way we had planned them," Coulthard said.

"We lost a lot of time in the middle of the session and that coincided with the best track conditions. I missed that window and I suppose I have to be pleased with where I am given the deal I had."

While Ralf Schumacher's Williams-BMW shares the third row with the BAR of Jacques Villeneuve, it was a another disappointing day for three-times world champ Jackie Stewart as he watched his Jaguars struggle in the Spanish sun. After seeing Eddie Irvine and Johnny Herbert qualify a distant 10th and 15th, he paid tribute to Coulthard's strength.

"What David has been through the past few days is impossible to gauge," the 60-year-old said. "I know he will have the highest regard for the grief of the families of the two pilots, but that was never going to stretch to him not going about his business this weekend.

"He is contracted to driving a racing car and that's what he will do tomorrow, but I know that sympathy and feelings for those who lost their lives will be very large in his heart."

starting grid 6 BAR Driver: J Villeneuve Best Time: 1min 21.963sec - McLAREN Driver: D Coulthard Best Time: 1min 21.422sec2 McLAREN Driver: Mika Hakkinen Best Time: 1min 21.052sec 1FERRARI Driver: M Schumacher Best Time: 1min 20.974sec 3 FERRARI Driver: R Barrichello Best Time: 1min 21.416sec 5 WILLIAMS Driver: R Schumacher Best Time: 1min 21.685sec

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