Irvine refuses to give up hope

The 140mph accident was the worst of his Grand Prix career and the largest in a series of blows to the confidence of the Ulsterman who has been off-form all weekend on his favourite track.

He ended up fifth on the grid with the nose of his shattered car lying in the dirt and missing both wheels.

Luckily he was uninjured but his championship chances are looking as tattered as his flame red Ferrari - not irrecoverable but much the worse for wear.

'I can still do it but it is 50-50. It is going to be a weird race,' admitted Irvine with a four point lead over rival Mika Hakkinen who starts on the front row with Michael Schumacher.

Much could depend on Schumacher winning the race. If he does Irvine need only finish fourth with Hakkinen second to become champion.

'I have got the 'A' team on my side in Michael and Ross Brawn [technical director]. In Michael I have got the best guy, that's for sure.

'I was pushing like hell because I thought I could have got third. When you push, sometimes you get it right and sometimes you get it wrong.

'I have got a bit of a sore neck, but it could have been worse. An injury could have been an issue. I know what I have got to do tomorrow.

'Losing a position to (Heinz-Harald) Frentzen is not ideal. All I know is if Hakkinen wins then coming second will be no good for me, but if he comes second to Michael then I have got to finish fourth.

'That's what I am aiming to do although I know that McLaren will be playing games.

'Normally getting past Frentzen would not be an issue, but everybody has got their own agendas here.'

Irvine hammered into a tyre barrier in the last ten minutes of qualifying having gone off the track three times during practice.

The heat of the duel with Hakkinen appeared to finally get the best of the 33-year-old who has been playing it super-cool all along.

While he looked calm out of the cockpit he has looked ragged in it for the last two days - culminating in a morale bruising shunt the day before the biggest day of his life.

He was fourth but fell to fifth as Jordan's Heinz-Harald Frentzen clocked a faster time in the final seconds.

Irvine could also become only the third man in the championship's 50-year history - after Denny Hulme in 1967 and Niki Lauda in 1984 - to take the title without starting a single race from pole.

Irvine's lacklustre form had his teammate puzzled.

'I don't know why Eddie is not getting to grips with the circuit. If there are any number one parts for the car he has them although the best way for me to help him and Ferrari is to win tomorrow's race,' said Schumacher.