MAY 10, 2001

Hakkinen still has belief

MIKA HAKKINEN still believes he can win this year's World Championship despite his lowly points score and his disastrous last lap failure to win the Spanish Grand Prix.

Hakkinen heads to Austria this weekend for the next round and has refused to accept that his title race is dead, despite a 32-point margin to leader Michael Schumacher.

"I have not lost my belief that I can win the World Championship," said Hakkinen. "I am looking forward to getting back to the racing in Austria.

"Over the past three years I've had a good record at the A1 Ring with three podium finishes, two as a winner."

Hakkinen's team-mate David Coulthard, meanwhile, has vowed to continue his record of finishing in the points in every race so far this season. It has been his best ever start to a campaign and he is second in the drivers' standings.

"I have finished in the top-six in every race so far this season and I intend to continue that consistency at the A1-Ring," said Coulthard. "We have to go to Austria and secure the desired result."