Coulthard can, says Jordan

JORDAN team boss Eddie Jordan believes McLaren's David Coulthard can win his first Formula One world championship this year.

"There is a traditional lull when someone is going for the championship - it happened to Schumacher last year when his biggest opponent got very close to him. So I personally think he can do it," Jordan said.

"The problems that Coulthard has had with launch control are unbelievable and it's a pity because he could be very close to Schumacher by now." "He's still in with a chance, but he's been deprived of points which could have had him right up there."The halfway point of the Formula One title race will be reached this weekend when the teams battle it out in the European Grand Prix at the Nurburgring Circuit in Germany.

Coulthard took pole position at this event last year in record time, but Ferrari's Michael Schumacher won the race ahead of Mika Hakkinen in the other McLaren.

Schumacher goes into this round with an 18-point lead in the drivers' title over Coulthard. But the Ferrari driver has admitted he is far from being comfortable with the way the championship currently sits, as there are still a lot of points up for grabs in the remaining nine races.

Schumacher knows all too well that mechanical failures can unexpectedly rob a driver of a potential points finish, meaning the lead he has at the moment is by no means enough.

Coulthard is also acutely aware of the need for consistency, following his failure to finish the Canadian GP - his first time out of the points this year.

The Scot got to within four points of Schumacher after the Austrian GP but watched the German stretch the gap again when Coulthard's car stalled on the grid at Monaco and then suffered engine failure last time out.

Another bad finish would put a serious dent in the McLaren drivers' championship aspirations.

Nick Heidfeld may not make it to the grid for this round, having been sent home from Silverstone testing last week after complaining of headaches.

The health concerns stem from an accident the young Brit had in Montreal, where he destroyed his Sauber in the final stages of qualifying. He was then involved in another accident with Eddie Irvine on the first lap of the race.

Heidfeld is expected to take part in the first practice session before making a final decision. But if he is forced to pull out of the event a question mark hangs over who will replace him, as Sauber does not currently have an official test driver.

Jaguar heads to Nurburgring with hopes of making it three in a row after scoring points in the past two events - at Monaco and Canada.

Eddie Irvine is set to get back into the car for this round despite also pulling out of a Silverstone testing session, after complaining of a stiff neck from the incident with Heidfeld.

Heinz-Harald Frentzen is another driver set to return to work at the European GP. The German will be checked by FIA doctor Sid Watkins before being allowed back in the cockpit for Sunday's race.

European GP telecast: Nine Network, 11.40pm AEST (check your local guides)Race distance is 67 laps or 305.252 kmDRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP
1 M Schumacher 58
2 Coulthard 40
3 Barrichello 24
4 R Schumacher 22
=5 Heidfeld 8
=5 Hakkinen 8
=7 Trulli 7
=7 Villeneuve 7
=7 Raikkonen 7
=10 Frentzen 6
=10 Montoya 6