COUL RUNNING FOR DAVID; Flying scot holds off the Ferrari boys.

DAVID COULTHARD cruised to his fourth Formula One win at the San Marino Grand Prix yesterday.

That's how his chaser Michael Schumacher described the flying Scot's majestic triumph.

And Coulthard delivered - just as he had promised. After his generous giveaway to McLaren team-mate, Mika Hakkinen, Coulthard grabbed a start to stop runaway victory.

It was so convincing that not even Ferrari's Schumacher, urged on by 180,000 crowd, had even the remotest hope of catching him.

Afterwards Schumacher, twice the champion said: "I was pushing. He was just cruising. I'd never have caught him - but, you know me, I never give up until the chequered flag.

"There is no reason why we cannot continue getting on the podium - but I wish I could have done more today for all our fans.

"Now we need a big step forward - but David today, was uncatchable."

Twenty-seven-year-old Coulthard moved into second place in the title place, leapfrogging Schumacher, with 23 points, just three points behind team-mate Hakkinen.

The Finn had to surrender to Coulthard when his McLaren lost fourth gear and he was afraid the car would be badly damaged - so he had to quit on lap 17.

He said afterwards: "I had gearbox failure - but obviously I'm pleased that David won the race. And there is now a very interesting situation developing in the championship between David and me.

"We are both looking forward to the remaining races. It should be pretty exciting."

It was exciting enough yesterday for third-placed Eddie Irvine. And the Ulsterman had one hell of a job to keep reigning champion Jacques Villeneuve in the Williams at bay.

Irvine drove a great race to finish third and afterwards he said: "At the start Jacques beat me off the line and he was very quick at first - but then I was able to catch him easily."

He passed the French Canadian in the pit stop melee and said afterwards: "The boys did a great job and I was able to build up a gap.

"But then I got in trouble... I lost the rear end when I braked for the first chicane. It cost me four seconds and Villeneuve caught up with me again.

"After that I was able to open up another gap and the only problem I had was with my back, which is giving me big problems because it keeps going into spasm about five laps into the race.

"It was uncomfortable and it was distracting - but I just had to get on with it and ignore it."

Irvine, Ferrari's pounds 3m a year understudy to Schumacher, played his part to perfection, never taking any chances, never exposing the car to attack - and making it to the flag in third place.

Fourth

And that gives him fourth place with 11 points in the championship.

Champion Villeneuve admitted that he couldn't overcome Irvine, hard as he tried and admitted: "I was pushing very hard but both he and Michael seem to have the Ferraris working very well and I wasn't able to push Eddie into making a mistake."

Eddie, who has taken a lot of flack for his failure to emerge from Schuey's shadow, added: "I'm just doing my job as best I can." And his boss Jean Todt said: "Eddie was doing a great job - and he was superb today in keeping Villeneuve behind him."