Motor racing: Coulthard sick and tyred as Montoya gets dry run to

DAVID COULTHARD blamed his McLaren Mercedes team for deepening his misery in Belgium yesterday.

The Scot, bidding for the consolation of runner-up place in the world championship, starts today's Belgian Grand Prix back in ninth place.

That is his penalty for failing to keep up with the pack on a drying track in the final frantic three minutes of yesterday's qualifying session.

As his rivals switched to dry weather tyres, Coulthard was left with intermediate wet rubber.

He slumped from third place to the middle of the grid, behind rivals Rubens Barrichello and Ralf Schumacher.

Coulthard, dismayed after missing out on the title, said: "The team didn't feel there was time for me to change tyres and I paid the price - ninth on the grid.

"It can all change, of course, in the race but I would prefer to be at the front. This is a pretty bad performance all round.

"I know I didn't help matters when I crashed on Friday but I don't think we lost out too much because of that. Where I am on the grid is down to not getting the right call at the right time for tyres.

"Ultimately I am unhappy because we ran out of time. All the others in front of me changed their tyres. I can't be watching the clock as well as driving.

"It's always tricky in these conditions but you could almost see this coming."

Coulthard and his team have had a catalogue of catastrophes this season, leaving Michael Schumacher to win his fourth championship with four races to spare.

McLaren admit they have to get their act together to mount a challenge for the title next season but this is yet another setback for them.

They are likely to face fierce competition next season from Williams BMW, who underlined their potential by taking the top two places on the grid for today's race.

Colombia's Juan Pablo Montoya stormed to his second pole ahead of German team-mate Ralf Schumacher.

Michael Schumacher was third in his Ferrari but insisted he was still confident he could clinch a record 52nd win on the circuit where he made his Formula One debut a decade ago.

The world champion said: "Starting in third position is not so bad here because it is a long race and there are overtaking opportunities.

"It was obvious anything could happen in those last few minutes because it was drying so quickly.

"I enjoy this circuit, although we all know the dangers when it rains. If you get the car right and you have the ability you can benefit."

The elder Schumacher led the way for much of the hour-long session and when the heavens opened again it seemed he had his first pole position on this awesome circuit.

But as a dry line appeared the Williams pair capitalised and it was Montoya who shot clear with a stunning lap. Montoya said: "This is brilliant - I thought it would be close and I couldn't believe it when I went quickest like that. This is a fantastic performance by all the team."

Now Montoya is looking for his first Formula One win but he insisted: "The team aim to finish second in the constructors' championship and that has to be my main concern."

If there was joy in the Williams camp, there was delirious disbelief in the Prost garage. The long-suffering French team were celebrating after Heinz-Harald Frentzen, the German sacked by Jordan Honda, took fourth place on the grid.

Englishman Jenson Button was 15th in his Benetton Renault and Eddie Irvine 17th at the wheel of a Jaguar.

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