Make or break for Coulthard

David Coulthard begins a two-race spell this weekend knowing it could decide his World Championship fate.

The 30-year-old's chances of lifting the drivers' crown will be all but over unless he can triumph at Magny-Cours in France on Sunday or claim a third successive British Grand Prix triumph at Silverstone two weeks later.

Coulthard has slumped 26 points adrift of champion Michael Schumacher and with eight races left has to strike back soon or face seeing the German claim a fourth drivers' crown well before the end of the campaign.

The Scot's victory at Magny-Cours last year has been chiefly remembered for the one-finger salute he gave Schumacher as his rival pushed him wide when he tried to overtake.

Coulthard, also annoyed at Schumacher's blocking tactics at the start, eventually got past his Ferrari foe and went on to record a famous victory.

"The win in France has to be one of the best of my career," said Coulthard, who apologised after the race for the finger gesture.

"It was an aggressive drive, the sort of which had it been done by Michael would have had everybody raving about it."

Coulthard, who now has 11 career wins, will also keep his title chances alive if he can become the first Briton since Jim Clark to complete a hat-trick of British Grand Prix triumphs.

Clark won four years in succession from 1962 to 1965 and was victorious a record five times.

But Coulthard's hopes of returning to winning ways at Magny-Cours and Silverstone have not been helped by his McLaren's lack of competitiveness compared to Schumacher's Ferrari or the Williams-BMW power package.