Mika Is Quicker, Admits Eddie
Eddie Irvine has confessed to having doubts about Ferrari's chances of landing the Drivers' championship, admitting that McLaren will be a tough nut to crack at Suzuka.
The Irishman needs to finish in second place if team-mate Michael Schumacher is to have a chance of taking the Italian team's first Drivers' title for 19 years, with the German winning the race. McLaren's Mika Hakkinen holds a four point lead going to Japan, and Irvine knows that the Woking team will not have rested on their laurels after taking victory in the Luxembourg GP five weeks ago.
Eddie Irvine has confessed to having doubts about Ferrari's chances of landing the Drivers' championship, admitting that McLaren will be a tough nut to crack at Suzuka.
The Irishman needs to finish in second place if team-mate Michael Schumacher is to have a chance of taking the Italian team's first Drivers' title for 19 years, with the German winning the race. McLaren's Mika Hakkinen holds a four point lead going to Japan, and Irvine knows that the Woking team will not have rested on their laurels after taking victory in the Luxembourg GP five weeks ago.
(At the end of the day, [McLaren] have to have a problem,) Irvine admitted, (We have found some speed in testing, but I'm sure they have too.)
(We've done a lot of testing, and we've made small gains in every department. It adds up to a reasonable step but, if everything's normal, the McLarens are going to be quicker than us. And Mika has been strong at Suzuka anyway. We've got to hope that they mess up.)
(My role is the same as it is at every race,) Irvine continued, (I've got to try to do the best I can. Obviously, all the focus is going to be on me trying to beat the McLarens, but I've only managed that twice this year.)
