‘‘I cannot believe that was everything to do with what happened,’’ said Irvine, who has impressed three-time champion Lauda with his performances this year.

‘‘I don’t know if it was the first, last or middle straw.

‘‘I just want what’s best for the team and if what’s happened is best for the team, that’s great. I think who’s left in the company is more important than what’s left the company.’’

Lauda, who was chief executive officer of Jaguar’s parent company Ford’s Premiere Performance Division, assumed overall responsibility last week after Rahal left to return to the United States.

The Austrian’s lack of experience in running a Formula One team has raised question marks over the latest changes at the Milton Keynes-based outfit but Irvine is full of praise for Lauda.

‘‘On the level I'm at, I'm sure Niki will do a better job than Bobby,’’ added Irvine, who scored all of Jaguar’s four points last year and who has contributed four of the five points they have managed this season.

‘‘Niki is much more astute in the decisions that will be needed. The man has not achieved what he has done because he is dumb. I am a big fan of Niki because he gets people together to sort out problems. That’s the way I want to do business.

‘‘We have got a lot of great people in the team but we have got to add to them. We need a boss who will want top people to come here, who is 100% cent committed and be all the things a boss should be. Niki has those attributes.

‘‘Only time will tell - but I think we have made the final steps that we needed to make. Whether we can make it and do what Ferrari have done, we can’t say that because that’s what everyone wants but we have made a big step in the right direction to go forward.’’

Irvine finished eighth fastest in first practice for tomorrow’s Belgian Grand Prix yesterday and admitted he was glad not to be one of those caught out by the mean, moody but magnificent Spa-Francorchamps track.

‘‘The second session was littered with casualties and it’s very hard to see anyone on the track when it’s that bad,’’ said Irvine of the changing weather conditions in the Ardennes forest which brought a sudden downpour.

‘‘I was lucky not to get caught up in any mistakes.’’

Team-mate Pedro de la Rosa was not so fortunate as he was rammed from behind by Ferrari’s newly-crowned world champion Michael Schumacher who could not pick out the Spaniard’s green car until too late.

But Schumacher, who limped back to the pits on three wheels, still finished quickest and will be looking to score what would be a surprising first pole position for him in Belgium in qualifying later today.

The 32-year-old, who was well ahead of Jordan’s Jarno Trulli in practice, will then be looking to claim a record 52nd career win tomorrow as well as equal Ayrton Senna’s record of five wins on the famous track.

David Coulthard, looking to clinch runners-up spot in the championship for the first time in his career, has ground to make up after crashing early yesterday and missing virtually the whole of the day.