Coulthard wins Austrian Grand Prix

McLaren's David Coulthard was a surprise winner of the Austrian Grand Prix this afternoon, coming in ahead of championship rival Michael Schumacher and the German's Ferrari team-mate Rubens Barichello. Coulthard is now just four points behind Schumacher in this year's drivers' championship standings with 11 races left. It was an emotional victory for Coulthard as McLaren are this weekend mourning the death of Paul Morgan, a co-founder of the Ilmor company, which builds the formula 1 engines for Mercedes.

The 30-year-old Scot began on the grid in seventh spot but took advantage of the clash between Schumacher and Williams driver Juan Pablo Montoya on the 16th lap to push ahead and challenge Barichello at the front of the race. The reigning world champion was forced wide when he attempted to overtake Montoya and ended up in the grass. Schumacher recovered impressively from his tangle with the Williams driver to move into third around lap 28. Barichello held off Coulthard until lap 48 when he took too long in the pit-stop and the Scot took the lead for the first time. Barichello fought back well and was only .09 seconds behind with one lap left but then pulled over at the last corner to allow his team-mate through to take second place.

Sauber's Kimi Raikkonen finished fourth with Olivier Panis fifth for BAR. Jos Verstappen scored Arrows' first points of the season finishing in sixth place. Ulsterman Eddie Irvine finished seventh in the Jaguar. It was a day to forget for the Jordan team as drivers Jarno Trulli and Heinz-Harald Frentzen both stalled on the grid as the race got underway alongside Coulthard's team-mate Mika Hakkinen and Nick Heidfeld's Sauber.

Frentzen was forced to retire immediately but Trulli eventually got underway. However, Jordan's nightmare day was completed when the Italian was disqualified later on as he left the pit-lane while the red-light was showing.

Afterwards, Schumacher was fuming over his clash with Montoya. "I was a little bit upset because there was no way he (Monyoya) could make that corner. All he was trying to do was take me out off the circuit as well. He was out anyway and wanted to take me as well. It happens, but I will have a word with him about it. Sooner or later I would have passed Juan Pablo," said the German.

Barichello revealed afterwards that the team had ordered him to pull over at the final corner to allow Schumacher through and that he was upset not at finishing third but for losing out on finishing first. "I am unhappy about the whole situation. I was winning the grand prix but David could get past me. That's why I am unhappy," he said.

Filed by Amanda Fennelly