Schumacher picks up practice pieces

Ulsterman's disastrous start to the crucial Japanese Grand Prix.
But in the bluff and bluster and the usual smoke screens thrown up by Friday's untimed settling-in day it was difficult to what the time sheet really meant.

At first glance Irvine is instantly in trouble having finished practice in 10th place, 1.6 seconds behind his title rival Mika Hakkinen.

Conversely the Finn's confidence has soared once again.

But Schumacher, veteran now of titles won in tight squeezes, believed otherwise.

'Don't worry about Eddie he will be okay,' he said after winding up fastest behind the two McLarens.

'We found a good set up at the end of the session. I was not able to do the time today but I am confident I will be challenging for pole tomorrow.'

There was over a second between the two Ferraris and Irvine is generally not much slower than the double champion so the omens are not all bad.

Irvine, himself, was difficult to read.

He painted a bleak picture very different from the upbeat mood with which he greeted the start of the final weekend of the year yesterday.

'The car was not handling well and we have work to do before Sunday but perhaps we will be up there by then.

'Maybe we will have to rely on McLaren's reliability record,' he said.

'Then again Mika has started from pole 11 times but only won four times - so even if he is on pole it is not the end of the world.'