McLaren driver David Coulthard enjoyed this year what many believe was his best Formula One season to date. Yet the title was lost long before the last race of the year. But with some luck, the Scot will be able to give Michael Schumacher a good run for his money in 2002. However, Graham Holliday believes it could be Coulthard's last chance to fight for the title

David Coulthard began his 2001 season with an astute move: he dumped his long-time girlfriend Heidi Wichlinski. Whether or not this had a direct effect on his driving is difficult to ascertain, but it certainly didn't do any harm. "I wanted to concentrate on doing the job properly and to be able to focus on it without having the distraction of other things like wedding arrangements," said David Coulthard just prior to the season opener in 2001. That wedding postponement soon led to separation. As things turned out, racing and a stream of new 'friends' helped David's concentration no end.

For the first time in his Formula One career the Flying Scotsman was hitting the best form of his career to date. If not for repeated mechanical problems, including the launch control software debacle which afflicted himself and Hakkinen to an inordinate degree in 2001, DC could have been a title contender all the way to Suzuka.

Indeed, one has to ask, is Formula One's most 'gentlemanly racer' cursed by bad luck? In prior seasons if anything ever went wrong with the McLaren, it was always under Coulthard's bonnet not his teammate's. A demanding and sometimes reactionary Ron Dennis didn't always help, with his premature accusations of 'brain fade' at this year's Spanish Grand Prix coming to mind. Mika Hakkinen's year was a disaster, his luck finally running out in 2001 with a car plagued by shoddy workmanship and a driver who was far from committed. When Coulthard's star should have shone brightest, the car kept clouding the improvements he had made during winter training and testing.

Coulthard has an exceptional ability to put the past behind him and face up to the present. Of all the drivers on the F1 grid, there is none more committed to out and out racing than Coulthard. Drivers like Jenson Button should take note. Yes, David likes the girls and doesn't mind the odd late night, but he'll still be up in the morning training while Button sleeps off another night on the town.

"Both drivers will be clear headed and focused for the job, which is great news for the team," said Ron Dennis at the beginning of the 2001 season. That was absolutely the case for Coulthard, but not for a burned out Hakkinen who understandably had a change in priorities with the birth of his son Hugo. Whereas Dennis's opinion of Hakkinen may have wilted a little through the course of last season, his support for Coulthard increased exponentially.

At the beginning of the 2001 Canadian Grand Prix, Coulthard found a nut from his front suspension where it shouldn't have been, lying on the cockpit floor just as the grid was being formed. He tossed the nut over the pit wall, deciding to start the race with a twisted front suspension. Dennis said, "To have a problem like he had and maintain a strong pace was remarkable. He discussed the matter rationally with the team as he drove around and then announced he would continue the race. That requires tremendous courage and real maturity."

That's the crux of the problem. Just at the time when Coulthard was showing his maturity and courage, the team failed him. And whichever way you want to paint it, those are the facts, mechanical failure was the most salient McLaren problem in a Ferrari-dominated season. A fact more often than not forgotten when the media vultures pronounce judgement on Coulthard.

For that reason and that reason alone the coming 2002 season could see David perched at the bar of the 'last chance saloon' and mechanical reliability will be paramount. Media opinion might not count for a jot by those in the know, but it does where sponsors are concerned and sponsors don't like bad luck. Anybody with their head screwed on can see that the young man from Galloway is one of the most reliable, committed and assured drivers on the grid. While the pairing of DC and Kimi Raikkonen will definitely be the one to watch in the forthcoming season, only when testing resumes in a few weeks will a true picture begin to form as to their relative competitiveness.

No one would doubt that becoming World Drivers' Champion is a huge hill for Coulthard, or any other driver, to climb. But the fruits of failure this time round might taste more bitter than they have done in the recent past.

Failure to secure the Driver's title would probably see Coulthard leave the West McLaren Mercedes team regardless of his form. The most likely move would be a straight swap with Jacques Villeneuve at BAR or possibly nudging Eddie Irvine into retirement at Jaguar. As things stand, the Jaguar ride would be his most astute choice. A big budget, steadily increasing competitiveness and reliability all bode well for the leaping cats.

Any move would likely see the Scot take the number one spot, but whether or not any new team can offer a Championship challenging car before he hangs up his racing gloves is difficult to forsee.

One thing we can forsee is that 2002 will see DC driving at his peak and if Lady Luck can cast a glance his way for once, he will give Michael Schumacher a deserved run for his money. If hard work and luck prevail, Coulthard's thoughts after the French Grand Prix of 2001 will hold true for Melbourne through to Suzuka: "I am in the best form of my life," said Coulthard. "I am delighted with my form. I believe I am driving really well at the moment and that obviously gives me a lot of confidence." Long may that confidence continue through 2002 and wherever he sees out the last three or four seasons of his career.