Zanardi backs Irvine title challenge

The Williams driver hopes Irvine can prove his critics wrong and deliver Ferrari its first drivers' championship for 20 years.

'I wish that Irvine could win, as he is the nicest among those who are running for the Championship,' said the Italian.

'Probably he is also the one I mostly identify myself with, as a person.

'I like Irvine, even if I think that he will unlikely be World Champion because McLaren, now, has a stronger and faster car than Ferrari.'

Zanardi, who won two consecutive Champ Car series titles in 1997 and 1998 but has struggled in this year's F1 campaign, also hit out at Irvine's championship rivals Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard.

'Mika Hakkinen shields himself behind some kind of professionalism that doesn't suit him, as I think that 'of his own' he would be a playful good guy.

'Coulthard is a professional, but something less when he's driving.'

Zanardi goes into this weekend's Italian GP hoping to build on his eighth place in Belgium - his best result of the season.