David Coulthard has shrugged off the post-race row involving his McLaren-Mercedes team and Arrows' young Brazilian Enrique Bernoldi in the Monaco Grand prix.

Coulthard finished fifth after being held up by the Leafield driver for almost half the 78-lap race, having been forced to start from the back of the grid when his car stalled at the start of the formation lap.

The Scot had to watch Ferrari's title rival Michael Schumacher claim the easiest of wins to move 12 points clear going to the next race in Montreal on Sunday week.

Bernoldi's blocking tactics in only the seventh race of his career angered the McLaren team, though boss Ron Dennis denied he had warned the 22-year-old he had the power to ruin his career.

"I said nothing of that sort," insisted Dennis of the claim. "I have no influence over his career at all. I just told him that in my opinion it was unsporting behaviour what he did."

Either way, Arrows chief Tom Walkinshaw was unhappy and said: "To say he will finish the career of a young driver in his first season in Formula 1 is outrageous.

"It is wholly inappropriate for people of that stature to verbally abuse a kid like that.

"Ron should focus on the fact that he had one car stall on the grid and another break down instead of having a go at someone who drove a good race in keeping the car off the wall in his first visit to Monaco."

Dennis claimed Arrows only ordered Bernoldi to block the championship hopeful to guarantee the team more television exposure as cameras captured Coulthard's efforts to get past.

But Bernoldi insisted he had a pit-lane confrontation with Dennis and Norbert Haug, sporting boss of McLaren's engine suppliers Mercedes.

"Ron and Norbert came up to me after the race in the pit-lane," said Bernoldi. "They were both very aggressive.

"I feel sorry for David. He is a nice guy and it is a shame that he started in pole position and then stalled, but that is racing."

Coulthard said: "He was only interested in the glory of racing me for 15th place. He was letting other people past, but every time I made a move he would cut across me.

"There is still a long way to go in the championship and we will just have to hit back when we get to Montreal for the next race."