Formula One news

Coulthard hoping to lead midfield

David Coulthard has conceded ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix that the best Red Bull Racing can do this season is to head the midfield pack. Excitement in the camp was simmering at the expectation surrounding the first Adrian Newey-designed Red Bull car but the Scottish driver believes that the first Grand Prix blew hopes of a dream start to the marriage out of the water.

"The key thing of course is how you start the year," said the 36-year-old.

"If you start quick, then that is pretty much where you stay so I would like to be in a situation where we hit the ground running at the first Grand Prix, rather than trying to develop during the course of the year."

Instead, Red Bull's drivers will have to settle for a midfield battle, where the objective will be to emulate team-mate Mark Webber's strong qualifying run to seventh at the Australian Grand Prix.

"The analysis would suggest we are in a very tight group in the middle so basically Mark [Webber] was able to achieve what we expected in a quali-situation outside the top three teams, so obviously the goal is to make sure we are always at the front of that group and it is very easy to find yourself in the seventh or eighth row if you have problems," Coulthard added.

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