 Coulthard Can be Champion, Says Haug Wednesday December 27th, 2000 Mercedes-Benz motorsport boss Norbert Haug praised McLaren driver David Coulthard by saying the Scot could finally become Formula One World Champion soon. Coulthard, who finished in third place in the championship last season, has become a better driver and there's no reason why he can't win the title in the near future, according to Haug. "I absolutely believe [David can do it], yes," said Haug to Autosport. "I cannot imagine much more difficult tasks than having a better year than Michael Schumacher. But David managed to beat him more times last year than he has managed before. "If he continues that development, there is no reason to believe that he cannot beat him over a whole year." The Scot, one of the busiest drivers during the December testing sessions, has consistency as his most important quality says Haug, and he thinks Coulthard may have Mika Hakkinen's potential. "There is no driver in the 2000 championship who finished more races than David," Haug added. "Apart from the event in Melbourne, where he had to retire due to an engine failure, and from Monza, where he was shoved off the track, David always finished races. So there might be a change of leadership ahead of us. "I don't think many people saw the true potential of Mika Hakkinen for many years - and today people say his name in the same sentence as that of Michael Schumacher."
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