[5vz-fe]

Here comes the usual Irvine talk again.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/moto...ne/4530571.stm

Irvine believes Renault's Fernando Alonso is ready to take on the mantle.

"The guy's awesome. When the pressure's on, he doesn't seem to make mistakes like Michael does. He's the new king," Irvine told BBC Five Live.

"Kimi Raikkonen's up there as well. The guard is changing, and I think it's about time because Michael is the most boring world champion ever."

While Alonso has amassed an 18-point championship lead with three wins in five races, seven-time world champion Schumacher has struggled in the new Ferrari.


Ferrari blamed for tyre problems
The German has failed to finish three times to leave him on 10 points, 34 adrift of Alonso.

The only time Schumacher has seriously troubled Alonso was at the San Marino Grand Prix, when the Spaniard held him off to claim victory.

Irvine sees the 36-year-old's failure to attempt an aggressive overtaking move on Alonso in the closing stages at Imola as a sign of the times.

"All he had to do was put the car down the inside and say 'we either have an accident or you finish second'," said Irvine, who was Schumacher's Ferrari team-mate from 1996-99.

"There was no point in Michael finishing second to Alonso.

"He's done much more bad things than that. Maybe age is getting to him. Three years ago he would have done that."