Red Bull driver, David Coulthard, has revealed that he seriously considered joining Ferrari as test driver.

With a Jaguar drive out of the question, following Ford's decision to withdraw from F1, the Scotsman's options for 2005 were seriously limited.

He had been offered a role with McLaren, yet David was adamant that he wanted to continue racing.

As time dragged on, and Minardi and Jordan were seemingly the only jobs on offer, Coulthard travelled to Maranello where he discussed a possible test role.

"I had the impression that if I had the opportunity to work in that team I would have felt at ease there," Coulthard told Gazzetta dello Sport. "So we talked about the possibility of becoming test driver. But in the end I had the chance to race so it's fine. Ferrari is certainly a different team."

The team subsequently signed former williamsF1 tester Marc Gene to join Luca Badoer, while a change of heart by Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz saw the Scot secure a berth for 2005.

Coulthard has described any hope of winning a race in 2005 as a "pipe dream", and remains convinced that the Maranello outfit will continue to set the pace.

"I expect Ferrari to remain the team to beat," he said.