David Coulthard's chances of winning the drivers' world championship next year have been written off by one of the bosses of his team.
Norbert Haug, motorsport boss of McLaren's engine partner Mercedes, said the team would not be able to match Ferrari in 2003.
Haug's views reflect those of McLaren technical director Adrian Newey, who admitted to BBC Sport Online last month that the team's approach to 2003 would rule out a title challenge.
But Haug insists the team can become world beaters again as they were in the late 1990's, when Mika Hakkinen won back-to-back titles.
Haug said: "It is not completely realistic next season to talk about the title.
"But we will come again to where we were in 1998 and 1999."
Coulthard scored the team's only victory last year in Monaco as they finished third in the manufacturers' championship, 156 points behind Ferrari, with Williams-BMW in second place.
McLaren also saw Ferrari equal their record of 15 wins in a season, though the Woking-based outfit achieved the feat when the campaign was 16 races long not 17.
McLaren's disadvantage in 2002 was largely down to their Mercedes engine, which was much weaker than Ferrari's and the BMW used by Williams.
Newey has admitted for the first time that Mercedes' engine builder Ilmor actually went backwards with their 2002 design.
"The 2002 engine was longer and heavier than the 2001 engine," he told BBC Sport Online.
But McLaren are optimistic that a new engine for 2003 will help close the gap.
However, it will not be ready for the start of the season - and McLaren are delaying the introduction of their new car as a result.
That means they will start the season with an updated version of this year's car, which is why they do not think they will be in a position to battle for the title.
The engine that starts the season will be a modified version of the 2002 V10, Newey said.
The definitive 2003 engine, which is the same weight as the 2001 model, is scheduled to be ready for the San Marino Grand Prix, the fourth race of the season.
However, Newey said that there was no definitive date for the engine's debut and that it might not be until the fifth event of the year. | 
