Ferrari have admitted they have virtually run out of ideas in their attempt to give Michael Schumacher his third world championship. With only two races left in the season, the Italian team's respected technical director Ross Brawn said he felt Ferrari did not have sufficient time remaining in which to provide a car fast enough to see off the challenge of Jacques Villeneuve's Williams. Instead, the team would have to put their faith in the brilliance of their German driver rather than relying on their technological development.
"There was a very short period in which we had the opportunity to develop this car properly," said Brawn of the F310B design which the team inherited from previous chief designer John Barnard who left Ferrari for Arrows earlier in the season.
"Short on time at the beginning of the season because we were not involved in its original design, short at the end of the season as we have to design the 1998 car. So everything in the cupboard was used, if you like, by the time of last month's Belgian Grand Prix. At the same time Williams and McLaren have obviously improved."
Although Schumacher has won four grands prix this season, Brawn felt the team have been struggling against the odds. He thought that their technical performance has looked better than it actually was thanks to the German driver's sheer flair and the fact that Williams took some time to get their act together on a consistent basis.
In that respect, he feels that the speed of Schumacher's team-mate Eddie Irvine is more representative of the current Ferrari's true potential. Irvine is currently eighth in the drivers' championship, his best placing so far this season being second to Villeneuve in Argentina.
"I sometimes think that Eddie reflects the true performance of the car," said Brawn. "I don't think Eddie is a bad driver at all. I think he's reasonably quick, but he struggles with this car.
"He doesn't complain about the handling of the car; it just isn't fast enough. So it is not as though we've got to get rid of some understeer, or get some more traction. We just don't have enough grip. But Michael is capable of taking the car to another level."
Going into the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka on October 12th, Brawn will be hoping that Schumacher can do just that in the penultimate round of the title battle. But on a circuit which suits his key rival's Williams-Renault, the German driver could find himself overwhelmed by the prevailing tide.
The flickering embers of Schumacher's title bid were virtually extinguished when he was rammed out of the race by his brother Ralf as Villeneuve and the Williams team sustained the pace of their remarkable recovery from a dramatic midseason slump.
With Villeneuve now nine points ahead in the drivers' title chase and only 20 points left to score, Ferrari are all too aware that their only hope of salvaging the situation is another miraculous performance to match that produced by Schumacher in the rain soaked Monaco and Belgian Grands Prix. And Schumacher has refused to give up on the championship and yesterday warned: "As long as there's a mathematical chance that I can win the championship then I'll battle on.
"Jacques has taken 19 points out of me in the last two races," he said. "If I can win at Suzuka and Jacques crashes out then I'll be back in the lead in the championship.
Meanwhile, Williams has confirmed that World championship leader Jacques Villeneuve and Heinz-Harald Frentzen will drive for the team again in 1998.
Confirming the driver line-up, team boss Frank Williams said: "We are delighted that both Jacques and Heinz-Harald will continue Williams' championship attack next season.
"Our result at the Luxembourg Grand Prix certainly helps the 1997 constructors' championship battle, but there are still two races to go.
"The new regulations for 1998 will give us all a technical challenge and we are confident that the combination of technical expertise and driver continuity will put us in a strong position."
