Lauda: Irvine is hard to work with

Writing exclusively in Autosport's sister title F1 Racing magazine, Lauda claims that the Ulsterman's attitude can have a negative effect on morale.

"As far as the team are concerned, Eddie can be very abrasive with colleagues - and that's a far more important failing than his addiction to sharing his opinions with the press," said Lauda. "I have to say that - especially in the kind of stressful situation Jaguar are in at the moment.

"Don't get me wrong: it's important to be critical sometimes. Eddie has no problem being critical - believe me - but he isn't always critical in a positive way. And that's how you need to approach your colleagues when things aren't going well. It is vital that you don't criticise people around you in a way that could lead them to think that they've been attacked personally."

Lauda added that he admires Irvine for his headstrong attitude and ability behind the wheel. But his comments on the 36-year-old's outspoken nature suggest that the former world champion will not shy away from openly criticising his driver, if he feels Irvine deserves it.

Irvine has already stated that he feels his contribution to Jaguar cannot be doubted. "I don't think the people in the team can fault my application on the technical side," he told this week's Autosport magazine. "My races have been fantastic. Qualifying has been bad, but in the races I don't see anyone who's done better, with the exception of Michael [Schumacher]."