Irvine: I won't take Hakkinen out

(27-Oct-98) - Eddie Irvine has dismissed suggestions that he might
deliberately take Mika Hakkinen out of the Japanese Grand Prix as
'rubbish'.

The Italian team is counting on the 32-year-old getting between Michael
Schumacher and Hakkinen because the German needs to score over four points
more than the Finn to become champion.

"Is it just me, or was there this much rubbish written three or four
years ago?" said Irvine. "Why am I going to risk my
licence?"

"I'm many things, but stupid ain't one of them. OK, if Mika's in front
of me, I'm going to try to overtake him for sure. But it's going to be
legitimate. I'm not just going to run into the guy. I like Mika, anyway.
He's a friend."

Rumours suggest that Ferrari has already run the idea of taking out
Hakkinen past Irvine and that he refused point blank.

Hakkinen said: "I don't think Irvine will do anything silly. I think
he has a lot of respect for other drivers."

Hakkinen was asked whether he feared that Schumacher might try to take him
off, even though the Ferrari driver will lose the title if he does not
finish the race.

"I intend to stay as far in front of him as possible," he said.

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