Coulthard says Red Bull are improving fast

MONACO, May 23 (Reuters) Red Bull have made big progress and are moving closer to Formula One's top teams, David Coulthard said today.

The 36-year-old Scot finished fifth in this month's Spanish Grand Prix, securing the team's first points of the season, and looked forward to more success in his adopted home of Monaco this weekend.

Twice a winner with McLaren in the Mediterranean principality, Coulthard finished third on the street circuit last year in an otherwise lacklustre year for Red Bull.

Now with top designer Adrian Newey on board and with Renault engines, the well-funded team believe they can improve on seventh place overall in 2006.

''I think that, encouragingly, you can see the pace of the car has been improving significantly over each of the races,'' Coulthard told a news conference in Monaco.

''We just haven't had the reliability,'' he added. ''I'm excited about the fact that I think we're the most improved team since the beginning of the year.

''Our rate of development is there for everyone to see and we've just got to keep building on that.'' Red Bull improved their car in Bahrain, the third race of the season, and in Spain where Coulthard produced a strong performance drawing on all his experience as the oldest driver on the starting grid.

''We've got closer to McLaren and Ferrari, and that's enabled us to be more competitive in the races, get closer to BMW,'' said Coulthard.

''Obviously we were in front of Renault and we've got to take heart from that. They don't win two World Championships by accident and we're moving forward as a team, the investment is paying off.'' While Red Bull are seventh in the constructors' standings, and champions Renault are fourth, Coulthard beat both the French team's drivers in Spain.

REUTERS RN BST2335