Eddie Irvine is most famous for joining Ferrari in 1996 to support Michael Schumacher’s championship campaign, but he nearly claimed the title himself in 1999.
| Nationality | British |
|---|---|
| Born | Edmund Irvine 10 November 1965 Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland |
Irvine made his Formula 1 debut with Jordan at the 1993 Japanese Grand Prix, where he controversially unlapped himself, angering Ayrton Senna and earning a post-race punch from the Brazilian.
Controversy followed Irvine into 1994, when he was blamed by the FIA for a four-car pile-up in the season’s first race. After he appealed the decision, his initial one-race ban was extended to three races.
After three years with Jordan, Irvine moved to Ferrari, where he described his role as Schumacher’s backup as akin to “being hit over the head with a cricket bat.” Though he rarely matched Schumacher’s speed, he occasionally played a crucial supporting role, such as at the 1997 Japanese Grand Prix, where he impeded Jacques Villeneuve to benefit Schumacher.
When Schumacher broke his leg at Silverstone in 1999 while attempting to pass Irvine, Irvine assumed the role of team leader. He had already secured his first F1 victory that year in Melbourne and added two more wins in Austria and Germany during Schumacher’s absence.
Irvine’s title bid faltered somewhat upon Schumacher’s return at the penultimate round in Malaysia. This time, Schumacher aided Irvine by holding up the McLarens, enabling Irvine to secure his fourth and final victory.
Despite leading Mika Hakkinen by four points heading into the final race, Irvine couldn’t match the pace of either Hakkinen or Schumacher, and Hakkinen clinched the title. Irvine left Ferrari as Rubens Barrichello, his former Jordan teammate, took his place, and Irvine moved to Jaguar.
However, his stint with Jaguar was disappointing, as the team often struggled with pace. Irvine managed only two podium finishes over three years before retiring from F1.
Post-retirement, Irvine has successfully built a lucrative property portfolio.
Eddie Irvine Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 1993–2002 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Jordan, Ferrari, Jaguar |
| Entries | 148 (145 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 4 |
| Podiums | 26 |
| Career points | 191 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 1 |
| First entry | 1993 Japanese Grand Prix |
| First win | 1999 Australian Grand Prix |
| Last win | 1999 Malaysian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2002 Japanese Grand Prix |
Sources: Wikipedia.com
