Hakkinen glides through as carnage reigns in Montreal

If two weeks ago it was a bore in Barcelona, then yesterday it was most definitely mayhem in Montreal. As carnage reigned at the Canadian Grand Prix, taking out world championship leader Michael Schumacher, both Jordans and nine others, McLaren's Mika Hakkinen sailed serenely through the debris to claim his third championship victory of the season to overtake Schumacher in the race for the drivers' title.

But while the Finn raced unchallenged to the chequered flag it was left to Ferrari's Eddie Irvine to provide the fireworks, with a stunning fightback to grab third place after a collision with McLaren's David Coulthard left him apparently stranded in eighth.

Initially it had looked as if a processional repeat of Barcelona was in prospect as, after a start in which Prost's Jarno Trulli shot through turn one, taking out Jean Alesi's Sauber and leaving Rubens Barrichello with a punctured sidepod which would eventually cause his retirement after bandaging the hole with yards of gaffer tape proved ineffective, Schumacher streaked off with Hakkinen in hot pursuit.

But the Isle Notre Dame track can play cruel tricks, and after just 30 laps the world championship leader's race ended when he ploughed his Ferrari into the sidings at the final turn, losing control through the chicane and being afforded just the briefest glimpse of the city's fleur de lis symbol on the wall before he hit.

"I lost control of the car at the last chicane," the German said, "because I went off the racing line, got on the dirt and ended up in the wall. This was clearly my mistake. It was a shame because the car was working perfectly. I usually make one mistake a year. I hope this incident was the last for the season."

With an unenviable record of seven starts and just one finish in Montreal, the Finn's maiden victory at the circuit was especially pleasing. "It was incredible," he said. "It was an excellent race and I am definitely very pleased. With the kind of pace Michael and I were doing I knew that at some stage something would happen, whether it was a technical problem or driver error. Luckily it wasn't me."

After Schumacher's exit, Ferrari might have pinned their hopes on Eddie Irvine robbing the Finn of his third victory of the season. The Ulsterman was allowed to close a seven-second gap to Hakkinen following the third deployment of the safety car after Jacques Villeneuve identically emulated Schumacher, crashing out at turn 15. But when the pace car left the track, Hakkinen thundered away to leave Irvine battling back markers and McLaren's David Coulthard.

Irvine's race was almost ended moments later when Coulthard attempted a daring overtaking manoeuvre as Irvine was hemmed in by slower cars; the Scot collided with the Ferrari, sending both cars spinning into the gravel.

Both eventually restarted, but while Coulthard remained mired towards the rear of the field, Irvine went about gaining some revenge for his and his teammate's traumas. Setting a blistering pace, the Ferrari number two confounded those who say that overtaking is impossible in Formula One by scything through the field, rising from eighth to claim a deserved fourth place.

"After Michael went off it got interesting," Irvine said. "I started to push very hard before the safety car came out, but then after it left I was stuck behind two back markers. One went wide and kicked up a lot of dust, so I had to back off and that allowed DC to get a run at me.

"He went wide and I thought he had gone off, so I went at the next section of the corner and I just felt a shunt from behind. Then it really became fun. Jesus, after Barcelona we needed it!"

As the war of attrition raged at the front of the field, the chief profiteer appeared to be Jordan's Heinz Harald Frentzen. With Damon Hill already out after paving the way for Schumacher and Villeneuve with a crash into the Quebec sign at the last corner, Frentzen was left to carry Jordan's hopes, and as the casualties continued at the front the German rose to third.

Then, after Villeneuve's accident brought out the safety car, the German closed the gap to second-placed Giancarlo Fisichella and passed the Italian as the pace car left the track and back markers forced the Benetton wide.

But the circuit which gave Jordan its first major points in its debut season, when Andrea de Cesaris and Bertrand Gachot took fourth and fifth in 1991, again proved a fickle mistress, and with just three laps to go Frentzen's brakes failed, resulting in the Jordan careering off the track at turn two and smashing into the fencing.

While Irvine was celebrating his third podium finish of the season, complaints were being lodged by McLaren and Williams over the Ferrari driver's overtaking manoeuvres on David Coulthard and Stewart's Johnny Herbert. Both teams stand to gain points if the Ulsterman's position is altered.