Eddie Irvine's lead in the Formula One world drivers' championship was erased yesterday as McLaren scored their third one-two victory of the year in the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa Francorchamps.

However, while Irvine, who struggled with an uncompetitive Ferrari all weekend, must have feared the worst, McLaren dropped a crucial crumb to the Irishman as the usual podium positions were reversed and David Coulthard took maximum points after a first-corner battle with his team-mate Mika Hakkinen gave him a lead he held throughout. After jumping the start light, Hakkinen made a poor getaway when the lights finally winked out and running into the Las Source hairpin, Coulthard nudged his team-mate aside. While no damage was done to Hakkinen's car, the four points lost to the Finn may be yet prove catastrophic. Hakkinen was well aware of the calamity but while he fumed and shunned the traditional champagne spraying ceremony, Irvine was a lot more upbeat. "Considering our situation today, I'm happy that I'm only one point Mika as the gap could have been much bigger," said Irvine who finished fourth after sterling work from team-mate Mika Salo to keep a flying Ralf Schumacher at bay.

While McLaren's drivers wage a potentially disastrous internal war and Ferrari struggle to find the pace and power needed to capitalise on the new constructors' championship leaders' foibles, Jordan calmly went about the business they have becomes so adept at all season, and mopped up five of the points remaining on offer. Heinz-Harald Frentzen, starting from third, initially threatened to capitalise on the McLarens' squabbling at turn one, but lacking the superior power of the Mercedes, could not pull away. But holding his third position, the German never looked in danger of relinquishing the podium place, his fifth of the season. While Frentzen managed to maintain his starting position, Damon Hill made a poor start after sealing fourth on the grid with a positive drive in qualifying and dropped to seventh. The Englishman eventually finished sixth after his first pit stop put him out in front of Williams' Alessandro Zanardi. "It was a very solid race in the points and Damon's back to his best," said Eddie Jordan.

While Frentzen relinquishes his third place in the drivers' championship to Coulthard, Jordan took further control of third in the constructors' championship, 23 points ahead of Williams. Frentzen, however, was looking forward to the next race in Monza in two weeks' time as a chance to even the score with the McLarens. "Before Hockenheim, we looked very strong in testing at Monza, and I'm looking forward to that race," he said. "The last test was very promising, so I'll definitely try to beat the McLarens there." " Ferrari, who also lost their constructors' title lead yesterday, will feel the same way. Returning to home soil and with Michael Schumacher expected to return to the fray in Milan, the Scuderia will believe that the world is slowly beginning to tilt back onto its proper axis. The only thing that may still displace the scales is the possibility of Schumacher coming back to the same confusion in team orders that plagues McLaren.

Asked about the collision with his team-mate at the start of yesterday's race, Hakkinen's comment were brief and pointed: "It was not very pleasant and I have no further comment to be honest."

After relinquishing the lead, Hakkinen dropped further and further back, allowing Coulthard to build up a 10-second gap at the chequered flag. The defending champion justified his actions, however, saying: "It's better just to drop back and concentrate on your own race and score in the best way you can and that was second position, which in this championship is better than nothing, after what could have happened in the first corner. I understand Eddie was fourth, so that makes it almost equal and that will make the situation interesting further on in the season."

"Coulthard, who now moves to within 14 points of his team-mate in the title race, was unrepentant: "It was a simple as Mika made a bad start and I made a good one.

"I was in front going into the corner. It's very difficult to judge, in your mirrors, where your competitor is when you turn in and as I edged into the corner I felt some contact. I thought `okay I'd better turn away', which is what I did. I went very wide, and continued on my way. It was a straightforward as that."

While Coulthard may see it as straightforward, it is clear that Hakkinen, who suffered a similar but more debilitating collision with his deputy in Austria, doesn't. While he refused to comment on the lack of team orders within McLaren, his demonstration on the podium will leave few doubts that the Finn would dearly like some checks imposed on a team-mate who has suddenly come down with a bad case of revived motivation. "