Coulthard went into the 2004 season with McLaren knowing he would lose his seat at the end of the year. However, he insisted he had his team's backing, and pledged that his approach for 2004 would be more aggressive. He endured a consistent start: Coulthard managed to finish eighth in the first race in Australia despite being off the pace, and in the following race in Malaysia, he managed to take sixth position. During the race in Bahrain, both McLaren drivers were forced into retirement due to engine failures after fifty laps. Coulthard did not score in the next four races, which included consecutive retirements in Monaco and at the Nürburgring. He was able to take points scoring positions at the next two races in Canada and the United States.