‘‘I don’t think it makes a mockery of the sport because it was a contractual business,’’ said the McLaren racer who moved over to let team-mate Mika Hakkinen win the 1999 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

‘‘But the fundamental question is if this is good for the sport and clearly by the crowd reaction they made their opinion on that quite strong.

‘‘We are a public sport and without the support of the public then the sport will suddenly start going down hill.’’

McLaren caused outrage though not on the par of Ferrari when Coulthard allowed Hakkinen to triumph in Melbourne to abide by a pre-race pact that whoever got to the first corner first would win.

‘‘If we go back to my situation I didn’t get out and say I wasn’t happy I got out and explained what happened,’’ added Coulthard, who was sixth yesterday. ‘‘Of course I wasn’t happy but that’s the contract I have.

‘‘You cannot make a negotiation, shake hands and sign a piece of paper and then turn round and say you are not happy.

‘‘Rubens is a grown man who signs a contact that obviously puts him in that situation and you can’t argue.

‘‘What the public have to understand is that F1 is a bit like the Tour de France where there is a team leader and all the other guys are there to help him.

‘‘Is Miguel Indurain not the great champion everyone thought he was because he had 10 other guys helping him? Would David Beckham be able to win a football match without 10 other guys on the pitch? Of course not.

‘‘A driver can only win a championship with a team’s support. A lot of teams put more importance on the constructors’ championship rather than the drivers’ championship but the driver is the name that will always be remembered. It will always be a footnote what the car was.

‘‘Maybe the teams should have to declare their contract to the public because I know people bet on F1. But the public have to understand the politics of the sport.

‘‘There are a range of issues but they have been there since Juan Manuel Fangio’s day when someone would stop and get out of the car and give Fangio his car to go and race.

‘‘Nothing had fundamentally changed but F1 is such a higher profile now."

But Coulthard admitted he would take little satisfaction if he was handed victory on a plate like Schumacher at the A1-Ring.

‘‘You have got to take more pleasure out of winning a race straight,’’ added Coulthard, who has won 11 races.

‘‘I have not had the success Michael has had but of the wins I have had the ones where I have had to work have been the most pleasure able.

‘‘That’s what we are here for. We want to have the battle, the struggle, we don’t just want to turn up and someone give you the 10 points. After a while it would just be boring.’’