Motor Sport: McLaren team boss Ron Dennis has said the Formula One title battle would be "a little easier" without Michael Schumacher and warned Ferrari rival Eddie Irvine to keep quiet.

"Michael is a very competitive individual and with him not being around for the remaining part of the season it makes life a little easier," said Dennis during testing ahead of this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg.

Dennis suggested that Irvine's remarks since Silverstone about his status within the Ferrari team could serve as an added motivation for McLaren's reigning champion Mika Hakkinen.

"Eddie would probably find his time better spent if he focused on his own performances," said Dennis. "He needs to concentrate on trying to get the best out of his team rather than making remarks that are counter-productive to that process."

Irvine said last weekend that the title battle was between him and Hakkinen and rated McLaren's David Coulthard as no more than an outsider.

"I think it is 50-50 me winning the championship. I don't think DC (Coulthard) can beat Hakkinen, but maybe I can," Irvine said.

Olympics: Juan Antonio Samaranch is concerned over delays in Athens' preparations for the 2004 Games, International Olympic Committee (IOC) sources have said, despite him expressing satisfaction in public.

The IOC president was in Athens to hold talks with government and Athens' 2004 organising committee officials.

An IOC source said many of the body's top brass, including Samaranch, were concerned over delays in preparations for the 2004 Games and that they told Greek officials to pick up the pace.

"The IOC president will never be critical in public for a host city. But there are concerns because a number of deadlines concerning key works have not been met," the source said.