Tomorrow's winner-takeall season finale at Jerez promises to rank among the best-ever climaxes to a Formula One season with Ferrari's dream of their first drivers' title in 19 years pitched against the son of one of Ferrari's greatest drivers - Gilles Villeneuve.

Tomorrow will be historic, too, for the departure of Renault after half a decade as the best engine maker in Formula One and it will also see Eddie Jordan bid adieu to Peugeot after three years which yielded everything but that coveted race win.

Yesterday's first official practice sessions were a Bridgestone benefit with three of the top four cars - led by Olivier Panis - all running the high-grip Japanese rubber. But the focus of attention remained on the championship contenders with Michael

Schumacher dismissing his ninth place as "meaningless", while Jacques Villeneuve's third place bode well for today's vital qualifying at the tight Andalucian track. "We concentrated on our race set-up today," said the double world champion in the Ferrari garage. "Today's position means nothing because I used only one set of tyres, while the front runners either used new tyres, or went out late when there was rubber on the track, which improved grip."

Schumacher, with the confidence of someone who has won the title once before (1994) at the last race, expects to be at the fore of what should be a very close qualifying session. "I think I can be on the front row," he said.

Jacques Villeneuve is under daunting pressure, feeling he has three drivers to beat: "I'm driving against Eddie (Irvine), Michael and Ralf. I still don't understand Eddie giving up his first race win," he said.

It's clear Villeneuve will be staying out of Irvine's way: "Eddie told me he is here only to make my life difficult. It's not personal, but the message is clear." In Japan, the French Canadian gave Irvine a wide berth: "You never know what to expect with Eddie!" said Villeneuve, who claimed that he can't wait for the race. "I think Michael's had all the luck he's going to get. I'm feeling great about the race," he said.

Irvine is on a high after his superb drive in Japan and even a three-hour, post-practice debriefing didn't dampen his enthusiasm yesterday. "I like Jerez. I always get on well here - I was fourth in the Jordan in 1994 (the last time the race was run). You need good brakes and traction and that should suit us. My job will be to qualify well up and support Michael. I think the pressure is really on Jacques now. "It could go either way, but if you're a betting man, you'd have to back Michael. Jacques has the better car, but Michael's driving better," said the only Irishman ever to drive Grand Prix for the fabled Italian team.

Tomorrow is the last race for Giancarlo Fisichella and Peugeot with Eddie Jordan, but there will be a sharp focus today on Ralf Schumacher, of whom Gary Anderson has been sharply critical. "Ralf did not do a good job in practice in Japan," said the number two man at Jordan Grand Prix. "He gets bits of the lap right, but never all the bits right on the one lap. It's all about concentration and only he can solve it."

Ralf's problem is overdriving - driving into corners too fast and losing time sorting out the crossed-up racecar - and he will have the added pressure of ensuring there is no repeat of the Nurburgring fiasco tomorrow, when all his brother needs to do is finish ahead of Villeneuve to join Ascari, Fangio, Hawthorn, Surtees, Lauda and Jody Scheckter as world championship-winning drivers in the cars of the prancing horse from Maranello.