Mika mistake costs him pole

Despite that the odds have continued to move in his favour after title rival Eddie Irvine's disastrous two days of practice and qualifying saw him slip to fifth on the grid and psychologically now slip away for Sunday's title decider.

Hakkinen, who starts second alongside Michael Schumacher, was giving nothing away as he prepared for the race that could make him champion a second season in succession.

'I am going to follow the lights, when they change I will start planning,' he said.

'I am not allowing myself to relax just because of Eddie's grid position.

'It is going to be a tough race tomorrow and I want to do the best possible job, have good tactics for fuel stops and do the maximum.

'The start is going to be a big thing.'

Hakkinen's chances would be a lot better if he was starting from his 12th pole position of the season.

But the spectre of Alesi's Sauber spinning across in front of him as he lined up for a run at the start to the crucial lap to try and get pole back from Schumacher, put paid to that.

'I don't know what words I can use, it is an unusual situation when someone overtakes you backwards when you are coming out of the last chicane. He has enough experience to know better,' said Hakkinen.

But as he reflected later about the incident he admitted he may have been partly at fault.

'I was coming out of the chicane to start the run on my lap and couldn't go fast because Frentzen was up ahead of me.

'Jean was on a fast lap going into the chicane, saw me and braked and decided to run across the chicane rather than run into the back of me.

'I turned in sharply and spun as he went across in front of me.

'I could have improved my lap time but I didn't get the chance.

'It is difficult to blame Jean as it was both drivers involved in the whole situation.'

There are several different strategies that could make the Finn champion but the simplest and the one Hakkinen knows best is to hit the front and stay there to the flag.

If he finishes second Irvine need not overtake him to become champion.