David Coulthard accused title rival Michael Schumacher of trying to force him off the track in France yesterday.

Coulthard launched an angry attack on the German after surviving his roughhouse tactics at Magny-Cours to roar to a victory that blew the championship race wide open.

The 29-year-old Scot branded his Ferrari foe a bad sport for veering across his path at the start of the race and for blocking his first overtaking move mid-way through the bruising 72-lap battle.

Coulthard gave Schumacher the one finger salute as his first attack was foiled but later apologised for his gesture as he celebrated the victory that cut his deficit to just 12 points with eight races left.

''I have to say sorry for my hand gesture. It was not in keeping with the sport but my emotions were running high,'' said Coulthard. ''I was very angry.

''It was just my reaction to Michael trying to drive me off the circuit at the start.

''We won the race and I'm delighted with that but I don't think Michael is very sporting with the way he drives on the track.

''There are set rules and trying to drive people off the track is not within those rules. It is up to the stewards to decide if it is outside the regulations and at the moment they don't think that it is.

''I know you cannot sanitise it so much that it takes away the element of racing.

''I'm not asking for that, but you have got to trust people you are racing against because you are risking your life ultimately.

''One day someone will not lift when they should back off and then there will be an accident and it will be in the lap of the gods what happens.''

The verbal onslaught is the latest in a series of angry exchanges between the two in recent years.

Schumacher claimed Coulthard tried to kill him after he ran into the back of his McLaren at a rain-lashed race in Belgium two years ago an accident that ultimately cost him a third drivers' crown.

The 31-year-old repeated the claim after the final race of last season in Japan which so incensed Coulthard, who had driven brilliantly to help Mika Hakkinen retain the title, he threatened to sue his fellow driver.

Coulthard was fuming after Schumacher, just ahead of him on the front row of the grid, veered across in front of him.

Coulthard had to back off allowing Rubens Barrichello to power past into third spot and act as a mobile buffer for his Ferrari team-mate for 21 frustrating laps.

''My start was better than Michael's,'' he added. ''The rules allow him to make one change of position, but I had to lift because he was veering in front of me.''

Coulthard first attempt to get around the outside of Schumacher came on lap 33 but was thwarted as his rival pushed him wide.

But Coulthard got him at the same Adelaide chicane seven laps later, surviving a banging of wheels before haring off to a third victory this season and ninth of his career.

''I always knew I had a chance to overtake, it was just a question of weighing up the risk,'' added Coulthard, who triumphed despite a series of technical problems in the run-up to the race.

''He pushed me wide first time but ultimately I was able to get inside him later.

''Though I expected him to close the door again he realised I was alongside. We did touch on the exit of the corner because he doesn't move.

''I had a lot of problems before but the mechanics did a great job throughout. I have never seem them work so hard and this victory owes as much to the guys in the pit-lane.

''I knew to be in a position to win the championship I had to win this race.

''This has put us right back where we were after Monaco and now I have to make sure we do the same at the next race in Austria.''

The German hit-back at Coulthard's claims insisting the British title hope had done the same to him in the past.

''In Japan last year he pushed me too wide but I did not complain about that,'' said Schumacher. ''It was a good fight today. I believe that is racing and if I am in front then I can choose the line.

''He tried to overtake me and naturally I tried to make it very difficult for him. To be fair, he was never really ahead of me.

''As for the hand signal I never saw it so have nothing to say about it.''

Coulthard's hopes were given another boost 13 laps from home when Schumacher's ailing Ferrari was overtaken by his McLaren team-mate Mika Hakkinen.

Schumacher retired moments later while McLaren were able to give the 'Go Easy' notice to Coulthard.

Coulthard eventually triumphed by almost 15 seconds from Hakkinen, now six points further adrift in the championship chase, to give the team maximum points.

Barrichello claimed third place for Ferrari whose lead in the Constructors' was reduced to six points with nine rounds of the 17-race season gone.