No helping hand for DC from Mika

In only the sixth round of the 17-race season, Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix, Ferrari asked Schumacher's team mate Rubens Barrichello to move over and let the German through into second behind race-winner Coulthard. That puts Schumacher on 42 points, with the Scot four behind. Had Barrichello been allowed to remain ahead of Schumacher, the gap would be just two points.

But Hakkinen, who is marooned on just four points after his worse ever start to a Formula 1 campaign, and McLaren team boss Ron Dennis say they won't be playing Ferrari at its own game until the title is mathematically out of reach for the Finn.

"I'm not going to start giving up anything yet, or giving away anything yet," said Hakkinen. "I'm going to charge flat out until mathematically there is no possibility to be in a winning position at the end of the season. I'm going to fight all the way."

Speaking to the UK's ITV network after the Austrian GP, Dennis said: "We won't be bringing in team orders because we're in the business of winning races. We've always made it clear that we're very fair with the guys. When it's mathematically impossible, then we'll step in. It's not right to intercede unless the circumstances require it."

Schumacher defended Ferrari's early-season team orders, saying: "Imagine if at the end of the season I have lost the championship by two points. I think it is a different philosophy Ferrari have on this to McLaren. After all, it is not illegal, and if it is not illegal, why should we not do it?"