 | EUROPEAN GP RESULT 1 F Alonso (Renault)
2 N Heidfeld (Williams)
3 R Barrichello (Ferrari)
4 D Coulthard (Red Bull)
5 M Schumacher (Ferrari)
6 G Fisichella (Renault)
7 JP Montoya (McLaren)
8 J Trulli (Toyota) |
David Coulthard said a tiny error cost his Red Bull team a maiden podium at the European Grand Prix. The Scot was handed a drive-through penalty after breaking the pit-lane speed limit by one mile-per-hour.
"I was disappointed. I made a mistake trying to get out in front of a Minardi in the pit lane," Coulthard said.
"I came off the speed limiter fractionally early and picked up a penalty which cost us a podium. But we've got to be satisfied the result."
Coulthard, who qualified 12th, found himself on course for a podium finish after being the major beneficiary of a first-lap crash.
Williams driver Mark Webber collided with Juan Pablo Montoya's McLaren at the first corner, triggering a melee through which Coulthard emerged in fourth place.
Red Bull sporting director Christian Horner said: "I am delighted with David's performance and the competitiveness of the car. It's just frustrating he was not on the podium at the end of it.
"You could see at the end of the race his times were comparable with (winner) Fernando Alonso and (third-placed) Rubens Barrichello. Without the penalty he would have been guaranteed third.
"In the race we were right there. His pace was fantastic and to lead two laps of the Grand Prix (during the first pit-stop period) was a big moment for the team and for him.
"They released a Minardi right alongside him and it just distracted him. He released the pit-lane speed limit button a bit too early and that 1.2 km/h (0.74mph) cost us a podium.
"But if you had said before the race that we were going to lead a couple of laps, turn in the sort of competitive times he was doing and come away with fourth we would have taken it."
MMIX
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