Eddie Irvine has declared war on half the Formula One starting grid in an astonishing outburst during which he claimed that he was a better driver than the world champion Mika Hakkinen.

In the run-up to Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, the Ferrari driver also offered himself as a candidate to replace David Coulthard in the McLaren-Mercedes team for 2000, claiming he was also a better bet than the Scottish driver.

"Certainly, I've never had any doubts about that," the Irishman told the Italian magazine Autosprint. "Coulthard is in a very weak position. Extremely weak. His ratings are going down race after race. Hakkinen is very fast, but he too has major weak points. Don't ask me to say what they are, though. Perhaps in some things he is a bit better than me, but in others I am much better than Mika." Irvine was cagey when asked if he had received an approach from McLaren. "Mmm," he replied, "You know how it is." However, McLaren's managing director, Ron Dennis, was emphatic. "I can confirm that nobody at McLaren, and certainly not myself, has spoken to Eddie Irvine," he said. "In the remote likelihood that we would need another driver, we would be unlikely to approach him."

Irvine's outburst may well have been prompted by a pressing need to identify whether Ferrari wish him to stay on as Michael Schumacher's team-mate for a fifth season next year.

Irvine claimed that only he knew best how to handle Schumacher. Ever since joining the team he has been happy to abide by a contract which requires him to let the German driver overtake him in all circumstances out on the circuit.

The Ulsterman may have judged that there are no other drivers of his proven calibre prepared to accept the same terms and act as outrider for Schumacher in the future.

"There are a lot of drivers around, but they aren't capable of handling the pressure of Ferrari and of Michael," he said.

It had been suggested that Jean Alesi, who this year is using Ferrari engines in his Swiss Sauber C18, might be a candidate to partner Schumacher. But Irvine reserved particularly vitriolic criticism for the driver who drove for Ferrari from 1991 to 1995.

"For me Alesi is a non-starter at Ferrari, someone who should never be taken into consideration," he said. "They say he is a mature driver. I've never heard anything more stupid." Irvine also dismissed speculation that he might rejoin Eddie Jordan's team, for whom he drove from 1993 to 1995. "I really have no intention whatsoever of going to Jordan," he said. Irvine also claimed to have a slim pay-packet for the world of Formula One. "I earn very little," he said.