Supporting cast pledge to fight fair

Eddie Irvine and David Coulthard yesterday pledged to stay within the boundaries of driving etiquette in their supporting roles at the decisive Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday.

"I would not want to take Mika - or or anybody else for that matter - off the road in order that Michael can win a championship, because I wouldn't want anyone to do the same to me," Irvine insisted.

For Michael Schumacher, four points behind Mika Hakkinen, to win a third world championship he needs to win the race and if the championship leader finishes in the points, hope his Ferrari teammate, Irvine, can keep the Finn out of second place.

"I really enjoy this circuit with its ups and downs and variety of corners," added Irvine. "I always go well here, so if anyone can do the job that is required then I think it will be me.

"Obviously if Mika is trying to overtake me, he's got to be more careful than he might be passing somebody else. I can afford to take a little more of a chance and it's the same for Michael with David."

Coulthard agreed that there would not be any underhand behaviour. "I'm not here to break the rules to help Mika win the championship."

"I've never done that for my own championship in the past," said the 27-year-old, who finished third overall last season. "I don't see why I should do that for someone else's."

Schumacher and Hakkinen have appeared relaxed in the run up to the race but yesterday at the press conference Schumacher's impatience to finally be racing got the better of him.

The German sat stony-faced throughout and then said: "I think the time has come to stop all the questions and talking and just get on with racing the cars now."

Hakkinen, by contrast, appeared to be relaxed and comfortable and said: "We did quite a lot of testing in Magny-Cours and in Barcelona, but not too much and I am quite happy about that. Our intention this weekend is to treat it like a normal race, but obviously it is quite interesting for me.

"I, personally, of course, am experiencing something different to anything before in my career in Formula One," said the Finn. "It is challenging and not easy. But none of this year's races has been easy. It is the most important race this year, but all the others were extremely important too and so I am just looking forward to it."

Schumacher said he expected to be more competitive than he and Ferrari had been at the Luxembourg Grand Prix at the Nurburgring, Germany, five weeks ago, where he finished second to Hakkinen.

"Well, it is a different circuit here. Our choice of tyres was different in the Nurburgring and it will be different here so that can change the picture quite dramatically.

"It is clearly my target to win and I will do all I can to achieve that. Nothing more, nothing less. A race win. Yes, that's it. Certainly. I expect the same from Eddie as before during this year and during testing. It is not too much to ask and he can do it himself. I know that. He could win this race."