Irvine gets unexpected support

Eddie Irvine received support from an unlikely source yesterday when Michael Schumacher said he would be prepared to be Ferrari number two if it helped the Ulsterman win the world championship.

The German is recovering from the broken leg he sustained at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone and could find himself in an unexpected supporting role if he returns this season.

The two-time world champion told Germany's RTL television that he could accept driving behind team-mate Irvine, who won Sunday's German Grand Prix and has taken the lead in the drivers' championship.

"I could live with the situation, because Eddie has driven for me often enough. Why shouldn't I pay that back?" he said. He added: "Even if one may not like doing it, that's life."

Schumacher said he still wasn't sure when he could return to the Formula One circuit. "At the moment one can't name a certain time for a return and I still haven't started a conditioning programme. I don't know how long it will be before I'm 100 per cent fit."

Despite the fact that he is almost certain to leave Ferrari at the end of the season, Irvine is determined to spearhead the team to the drivers' and the manufacturers' titles.

"I thought our chances in the manufacturers' championship were dead but Mika is doing a blinding job," said Irvine, after rivals McLaren again played a major part in their own downfall.

"Both titles could be on the cards because we have got a really strong team. And the car is so reliable - it's bullet-proof really."

Irvine, expected to join Stewart next year in a straight swap with Rubens Barrichello, is planning to turn the screw on the shellshocked world champion with victory in Hungary on Sunday week.

The tight, twisty Hungaroring track will be far more suited to Irvine's car than the Hockenheimring where McLaren expected a routine clean sweep of the points.

"To win two on the trot is great but three in a row would be even better," said Irvine, victorious in Austria the weekend before, after triumphing when Mika Salo was ordered to move over.

"The Hungaroring will be much more to my liking. It's more of a circuit I enjoy, it's like a little kart track with lots of left-right-left corners and none of the big heavy braking stops.

"But we still have to improve our performance, especially in qualifying compared to the McLarens, but hopefully they will keep shooting themselves in the foot."

Hakkinen, meanwhile, left the Hockenheim fortunately nursing no more than bruised pride after thundering into a tyre barrier when the rubber on his left rear tyre shredded.

The incident, just one day after team-mate David Coulthard suffered the same problem, is still being investigated by the team and tyre suppliers Bridgestone. Early indications were that temperature problems or a troublesome rear wing could have caused the tyre to lose its tread.

But just as much of a concern to Hakkinen is the way countless points have been tossed away in recent races through mistakes within the team, and technical errors. "I am doing my best on the track and I should have won the last three races," said Hakkinen.

Damon Hill has been forgiven by the Jordan team for abandoning his car during Sunday's Grand Prix, where he complained that he did not like the feel of its brakes, and will continue racing for them through to his retirement at the end of the season.

The 1996 world champion abandoned his car after 14 laps after coming into the pits unexpectedly to refuel and change tyres. Many Formula One insiders judged that team owner Eddie Jordan would regard Hill's withdrawal from the race as completely unacceptable, given his wavering commitment two months ago where he hinted that he might retire for good after the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

However, the team owner clearly believes that his best interests are served by Hill continuing to drive.

"Damon has never liked the feel of the brake system which we used for safety reasons during the race at Hockenheim," said Ian Phillips, the Jordan team's commercial director.

"It was very disappointing, but that's an end to it. He has stated that he is going to drive through to the end of the season and that's absolutely what he is going to do."

The Australian Grand Prix will open next year's Formula One season, Australian Grand Prix Corporation chairman Ron Walker said yesterday.

The reinstatement of Melbourne to host the opening race came after the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) had initially awarded the first race of the year to Malaysia.

"The date still has to be ratified by the FIA Senate when it meets in Geneva in October," Walker said. "But you'll find that when Bernie Ecclestone makes a statement such as he has, people bet on it."