Whether you believe in the cock-up or the conspiracy theory, Eddie Irvine's world title bid is facing the history scrapheap. Irvine has always had the gift of the gab, but it is the gift of the gaffe that is threatening his chances of quitting Ferrari with the drivers' crown.

The latest blow to his championship challenge came in Sunday's extraordinary European Grand Prix in Germany where rival Mika Hakkinen was allowed to eke out a slender points advantage.

That the Ulsterman still has a chance of winning the drivers' title as he heads for the final two races in the Far East is down to Hakkinen's McLaren team's similar desire to throw away winning opportunities.

Irvine could not be blamed for Ferrari's abysmal tyre change on Sunday which left him stranded in the pit-lane while mechanics searched for the missing rubber. But the costly error will only have given extra ammunition to those who believe that the last thing the Italian team wants is Irvine ending their 20-year search for driver success and then immediately decamping to Jaguar.

If Hakkinen triumphs in the maiden grand prix on the Sepang circuit in Malaysia on October 17th then Irvine has to finish in at least fourth place to take the fight down to a last-race decider in Japan two weeks later.

Hakkinen is refusing to write off his 33-year-old rival but believes Coulthard, who crashed out while leading to fall 14 points behind, should now be ordered to help him out.

"I am not going to under-estimate them; I know what they can do," said Hakkinen, who saw former Lotus team-mate Johnny Herbert triumph on Sunday.

The pressure is now on both Irvine and Ferrari, although help is unlikely to be quickly forthcoming from Michael Schumacher who is not expected to return until the final race at the earliest.

When Irvine confidently predicted Schumacher's absence would boost Ferrari's title hopes he could not have expected the words would return to haunt him.

In the immediate aftermath of Schumacher's Silverstone smash, Irvine's belief that his less hectoring style would bring the best out of his team proved true as successive victories took him eight points clear.

Since then, however, Ferrari's challenge has faltered, with many inside and outside their camp putting the failings down to the German's continued absence.

The two-time champion is scheduled to get back into the cockpit of the Ferrari early next month, but his own doubts about his race fitness mean a Malaysian comeback is unlikely.

But if Irvine's short-term prospects are looking less than healthy, the long-term prognosis also took a knock at the Nurburgring on Sunday. Irvine will face a revitalised new team-mate in Herbert next year following his splendidly unexpected maiden victory for Stewart Ford.

Herbert's first win in four years has given him a massive psychological boost before he teams up with Irvine, who was expecting to be installed as number one after signing a three-year deal reputedly worth £18 million.

But Herbert will be looking for equal status in the renamed Jaguar Racing team, confident that he can at least match the performances of Irvine.

"I am sure it will strengthen my position," said Herbert after his win on Sunday.