Scheckter Slams "slow" Irvine.

Jody Scheckter believes Ferrari should have signed Giancarlo Fisichella to partner Michael Schumacher - because Eddie Irvine isn't fast enough.


The 1979 world champion - Ferrari's last - has said that the Irishman is simply not good enough to help team-mate Michael Schumacher's championship challenge, and would prefer to see a young charger alongside the German.


"Schumacher is a great driver," Scheckter said, "but he needs someone to be right on his tail - or quicker than him at times - to help raise his game. Eddie is often half a second adrift, and that's no good. Michael would benefit from having someone like Giancarlo Fisichella, who is really aggressive, alongside him."


Scheckter went on to say that Irvine's lack of pace contributed to McLaren's championship winning season in 1998, because he was not able to provide the same level of back-up to Schumacher as David Coulthard did for Mika Hakkinen. Insiders wonder, however, whether the psychologically fragile Fisichella would cope with the political atmosphere at Maranello, and also whether he would willingly be the subservient number two Schumacher appears to demand.


Scheckter's comments come in spite of Irvine winning his first grand prix in Melbourne three weeks ago, and do not appear to take into account the Irishman's solid record of podium finishes in the past two years. Irvine was unavailable for comment.