Third for Irvine lifts Irish

For the second year running Eddie Irvine received the thirdplace cup from Prince Rainier at the end of a hard-fought Monaco Grand Prix - but this time he was the leading Ferrari driver. The race was won by Mika Hakkinen, and Ferrari's Michael Schumacher limped home, classified 10th. There was a grim mood in the Jordan camp after another pointless race in which Damon Hill finished eighth and Ralf Schumacher crashed.

Irvine had been in great form all weekend - spending a lot of time with the large Irish contingent who travelled to the event.

He clashed with HeinzHarald Frentzen of Germany, who had to retire after a collision with Irvine, who appeared to force him off the track at the Loews hairpin. Afterwards Irvine said: "Frentzen was ahead of me and I knew he was on softer tyres. They started to go off and he left the door open. I drew alongside and we had a bit of contact."

Frentzen was annoyed: "There was a gap and Eddie moved into it. He pushed me into the barrier. I couldn't disappear." His tone then hardened: "The only way to tell Eddie about this is to do the same to him - or worse."

Jordan Grand Prix is in crisis. "It's been a terrible weekend. We're in trouble but we will sort it out," said team boss Eddie Jordan.

"There will have to be some changes - not quick fixes. I think we will have to go through some pain before things get better."

Jordan then dicussed where the problems lay: "I cannot fault the drivers. We are a team of 150 people and everyone needs to be motivated again," he said.