McLaren cannot win on performance, says Coulthard

McLaren's David Coulthard on Saturday played down his chances of winning the Austrian Formula One Grand Prix for the second successive year.

The Scot qualified eighth for Sunday's race. Although he won last season from seventh on the grid, he did not expect to repeat the performance.

"Of course we can win because you should always hope that luck is on your side," Coulthard told reporters. "But in terms of pure performance there is no way we can win.

"The nature of the car at the moment does not particularly suit the strengths of my driving. I can't carry the speed in the corners as it is very unstable at the rear."

Coulthard was overall championship runner-up last year but is currently fourth with just nine points after five races.

"We have been here before many years ago where we were struggling a little bit then we came forward. I am going through the down cycle and I need to keep the focus and look to the future," he said.

"We are just in that difficult area. It would be very easy to be getting frustrated with the situation but I feel very confident that having been down before we can come up again.

"It is just going to be a slightly longer process and it doesn't happen overnight."

He added: "I think it (the car) can improve but I don't think you are going to see a big change in the course of the season."