Motorsports

Coulthard stops Ferrari stampede

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Formula One opened a new season under new rules with a striking result: Michael Schumacher failed to finish among the top three.

David Coulthard won Sunday's Australian Grand Prix, breaking the dominance of the German driver and his Ferrari team. It marked the first time in 20 races Schumacher was not on the podium.

Schumacher was black flagged with 13 laps to go in the 58-lap race because a board from the side of his cockpit was dragging. The three-time defending world champion won 11 races last year and at least one Ferrari had been in the top three at every race since September 1999.

F1 made a host of changes, introducing one-lap qualifying sessions over two days and altering car setups and points distribution.

After Schumacher's black flag took him out of the lead, Williams driver Juan Pablo Montoya grabbed the top spot, only to spin out two laps later. Coulthard took advantage and won by 8.6 seconds.

Montoya was second and Coulthard's McLaren teammate, Kimi Raikkonen, was third on the Albert Park circuit.

Coulthard thinks Ferrari can be contained this season. "It's encouraging -- occasionally they are dropping the ball," he said. "Under pressure they can make mistakes."

MOTORCYCLES: The Daytona 200 at Daytona International Speedway was rained out and scheduled for 11 a.m. today. The Super Stock event will follow. Roberto Panichi beat Brian Parriott in a photo finish to win the Boxer Cup race. Kurtis Roberts won in Supersport and Rich Oliver captured the MBNA Grand Prix.

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