Eddie Irvine facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eddie Irvine
Irvine at the 1999 Australian Grand Prix
Born	Edmund Irvine Jr. (1965-11-10) 10 November 1965 (age 59) Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland
Children	1
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	British
Active years	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
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years	1992–1994
Teams	Toyota, SARD
Best finish	2nd (1994)
Class wins	1 (1994)

Edmund "Eddie" Irvine Jr. (born 10 November 1965) is a former racing driver from Northern Ireland. He raced in Formula One from 1993 to 2002. Irvine finished second in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1999 with Ferrari. He won four Grands Prix during his 10 seasons in the sport.

Eddie Irvine started his racing journey at age seventeen in Formula Ford. He quickly found success there. Then he moved up to Formula Three and Formula 3000 championships. He made his Formula One debut in 1993 with the Jordan Grand Prix team. He became known for being involved in exciting moments on and off the track. In 1995, he achieved his first podium finish with Jordan. After that, he joined Ferrari in 1996. His best year was 1999, when he won four races. He finished second in the World Championship, just two points behind McLaren driver Mika Häkkinen. During his four years with Ferrari, he also finished fourth overall in 1998. He earned 22 podium finishes. He moved to Jaguar Racing in 2000. There, he achieved the team's first podium in 2001. His final podium was in 2002. Irvine stopped competitive motorsport at the end of the 2002 season. He holds a record for getting on the podium many times (15) before winning his first Grand Prix.

After retiring from racing, Irvine became a well-known media personality in Great Britain. He also grew his interests in the property market. He had already built up many investments during his racing career.

Eddie Irvine's Early Racing Days

Eddie Irvine was born on 10 November 1965 in Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland. His parents were Edmund Sr. and Kathleen. He grew up in the village of Conlig. He went to Regent House Grammar School in Newtownards. His older sister, Sonia, worked as his physiotherapist for a while. Eddie's first experience with motorsport was when his family went to the British Grand Prix for holidays. His father also raced single-seater cars for fun. Eddie's childhood hero was fellow Northern Irish driver John Watson.

Eddie Irvine at the 1989 Macau Grand Prix. His helmet design was like Ayrton Senna's.

Irvine started racing cars in 1983. He was first interested in motorcycle racing. But his parents thought it was too dangerous. His father encouraged him to race in Formula Ford. His father helped fund his racing by having him work in the family scrapyard. In 1984, he won his first race at Brands Hatch. He also received an award for being the best driver. In 1987, he joined the Van Diemen team. That year, he won the Esso Formula Ford series, the RAC Formula Ford series, and the Formula Ford Festival.

In the winter of 1987, Marlboro held a test. The fastest driver would get a chance to race in the British Formula 3 season. Eddie Irvine was that driver. He joined West Surrey Racing for 1988. It was a tough season, and he finished fifth overall. He raced at the Macau Grand Prix for the first time. He started from pole position but did not finish the race. In 1989, Irvine competed in the International Formula 3000 Championship with Pacific Racing. He finished ninth in the season. He was ahead of his teammate JJ Lehto, who was considered a promising young driver.

In 1990, he joined the Jordan Formula 3000 team. He won a race in Germany. He ended the season in third place. He beat his teammates Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Emanuele Naspetti. Irvine also finished on the podium at the Macau Grand Prix and the Fuji F3 Cup. At the end of the season, Irvine moved to Japan. He competed in Japan's Formula 3000 championship. In 1991, he raced for Cerumo Racing. He won one race and finished seventh in the Drivers' Championship.

Irvine's first race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans was in 1992. He drove a SARD Toyota Group C car. His teammates were Roland Ratzenberger and Eje Elgh. The team finished ninth overall. They came second in their Group C class.

Eddie Irvine's Formula One Career

Racing for Jordan (1993–1995)

1993: A Fast Start

Eddie Irvine made his Formula One debut in 1993. It was at the Japanese Grand Prix. He joined the Jordan Grand Prix team alongside Rubens Barrichello. He made an instant impression. He scored a point by finishing sixth. He also famously unlapped himself against the race leader, Ayrton Senna. After the race, Senna was upset. He thought Irvine's driving was "unprofessional." Senna approached Irvine, and after a heated discussion, there was a physical argument. Senna received a suspended ban for two races. Irvine retired from the final race in Australia due to accident damage. After just two races, Irvine finished 22nd in the Drivers' Championship with one point.

Irvine raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the second time. He drove a Toyota Group C car with Toshio Suzuki and Masanori Sekiya. The team finished fourth overall.

1994: Ups and Downs

Irvine driving for Jordan during the 1994 British Grand Prix.

Irvine stayed with Jordan for 1994. He was again partnered with Barrichello. The first race in Brazil started badly. Irvine was in a four-car crash. He later received a one-race ban and a fine. He appealed, but the ban was increased to three races. Other drivers filled his seat for those races.

Irvine returned for the Spanish Grand Prix. He scored his first points of the season by finishing sixth. Then he had five retirements in a row. He couldn't finish the Belgian Grand Prix due to an alternator problem. He was still classified 13th because he completed most of the race. Irvine retired from the Italian Grand Prix due to an engine problem. He was later given a suspended one-race ban for an incident with Team Lotus driver Johnny Herbert.

Irvine faced more issues during qualifying for the Portuguese Grand Prix. He clipped Williams driver Damon Hill. He was warned that another similar incident could lead to his racing license being taken away. He finished seventh in the race. He then scored points in the next two races. He was fourth at the European Grand Prix and fifth at the Japanese Grand Prix. Irvine retired from the final race in Australia after spinning off. He finished the year 16th in the Drivers' Championship with 6 points.

Outside of Formula One, Irvine raced in his third 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1994. He drove for SARD with Mauro Martini and Jeff Krosnoff. The team was leading with 90 minutes left. But a gearbox problem slowed them down, costing them the win. They finished second overall and first in their class.

1995: First Podium Finish

Irvine driving for Jordan at the 1995 British Grand Prix

Irvine stayed with Jordan for 1995, again with Barrichello. The season started poorly. He retired from the first race in Brazil due to a gearbox problem. In the next race in Argentina, he crashed on the first lap with McLaren driver Mika Häkkinen. He retired with an engine problem after only six laps. He finished eighth at the San Marino Grand Prix. He scored points with a fifth-place finish in Spain. After retiring from the Monaco Grand Prix, Irvine achieved his first Formula One podium. He finished third in Canada. At the Belgian Grand Prix, Irvine's car caught fire during a pit stop. The fuel valve got stuck open. He was not hurt but had to retire.

Before the European Grand Prix, Jordan announced Irvine would stay for two more years. However, Ferrari then announced they had signed Irvine. He would be joining Michael Schumacher at Ferrari for 1996. He did well in the European Grand Prix, finishing sixth. He finished outside the points in the Pacific Grand Prix. Irvine scored his last points of the season with a fifth place in Japan. He ended the season with a retirement in Australia due to a pneumatic pressure issue. He finished the year 12th in the Drivers' Championship with 10 points.

Joining Ferrari (1996–1999)

1996: A New Team

Irvine driving for Ferrari at the 1996 San Marino Grand Prix.

At the first race of 1996 in Australia, Irvine finished third. He started in third place, out-qualifying his new teammate, Michael Schumacher. In the next race in Brazil, he finished seventh, outside the points. He took fifth place in Argentina. At the European Grand Prix, he crashed with Olivier Panis. Both drivers had to retire. A fourth place in the San Marino Grand Prix followed. Then he had eight retirements in a row. These were due to car problems or crashes. Irvine finished fifth in the Portuguese Grand Prix. But he retired again from the final race in Japan. Irvine finished tenth in the Drivers' Championship with 11 points.

1997: More Podiums

The first race of 1997 in Australia saw Irvine crash on the first lap with Williams driver Jacques Villeneuve. At the next race in Brazil, he finished 16th. He found his car hard to drive. Two weeks later, he achieved his best career finish so far: second place in Argentina. He challenged Villeneuve for the lead. This result stopped calls in the Italian press for Irvine to be replaced. He finished third at the next race in San Marino. Another third place in Monaco two weeks later gave Irvine his best run of finishes. At the Spanish Grand Prix, Irvine finished 12th. He received a penalty for holding up other drivers while a lap down.

At the Canadian Grand Prix, Irvine was in another first-lap crash. This time it was with McLaren driver Mika Häkkinen. He was back on the podium with third place at the French Grand Prix. Then he had a run of seven races where he was either out of the points or out of the race. During the summer, it was announced that Irvine would stay at Ferrari for 1998. His poor results ended with a third-place finish at the Japanese Grand Prix. He finished the season with a fifth place at the European Grand Prix. Irvine finished seventh in the Drivers' Championship with 24 points.

1998: Supporting Schumacher

Irvine remained at Ferrari for 1998, again with Schumacher. Irvine had some back pain, so a new seat was put in his car. He didn't get much practice in the new Ferrari F300 before the season. He was worried about the tire competition between Goodyear and Bridgestone. But he was still hopeful about his chances. At the first race in Australia, Irvine finished fourth. In the next race in Brazil, he was eighth, outside the points. Irvine finished on the podium six times in the next seven races. This included a second-place finish in France, behind Schumacher.

In July, it was announced Irvine had signed a two-year extension to his contract. The contract said Irvine could choose his own strategy and car setup. But he would still support Schumacher. After two retirements in the next three races, Irvine finished second in Italy. He was fourth at the Luxembourg Grand Prix. He ended the season with a second-place finish at the Japanese Grand Prix. Irvine finished the season fourth in the Drivers' Championship with 47 points.

1999: Championship Contender

Irvine driving for Ferrari at the 1999 Canadian Grand Prix

For 1999, Irvine felt confident. He said he wanted to do even better than his fourth place in 1998. His season started well. After 81 Grand Prix races, Irvine won his first Formula One race. It was at the first round in Australia. This put him in the lead of the World Drivers' Championship for the first time. In the next race in Brazil, an unplanned pit stop cost Irvine a podium. He finished fifth. Three weeks later in San Marino, Irvine missed another podium. His car had an engine problem while he was in third place. This made him lose the lead of the Drivers' Championship to Schumacher. Irvine finished second at Monaco, behind Schumacher. This was Ferrari's first one-two finish of the season. At the next race in Canada, Irvine set the fastest lap of the race. He also survived a crash with McLaren driver David Coulthard. He finished third.

On the first lap of the British Grand Prix, Schumacher broke his right leg in a crash. Irvine finished second in that race. Irvine then became the team leader. Finnish driver Mika Salo joined him for the next six races. Irvine won the next race in Austria. Mika Salo helped him win a week later in Germany. This helped Irvine get back the lead of the Drivers' Championship. He had another podium finish in Hungary, where he struggled with his car. In September, it was announced that Irvine would move to the Jaguar team. Jaguar had bought Stewart Grand Prix. Irvine would be partnered by Johnny Herbert. Irvine finished outside the points in seventh place at the European Grand Prix. He had a very long pit stop because his mechanics couldn't find a tire.

Schumacher returned from injury at the second-to-last race in Malaysia. He helped Irvine win his fourth race of the season. Ferrari had another one-two finish, ahead of Häkkinen. Both Ferraris were later disqualified. Their car parts did not follow the rules. Ferrari appealed, and the decision was overturned. This set up a Championship decider in Japan. At the final race in Japan, Irvine struggled in qualifying and crashed. He managed only fifth place. In the race, he finished third. He was over a minute and a half behind Schumacher in second, and race winner Häkkinen. Irvine lost the Drivers' Championship to Häkkinen by just 2 points. But Irvine's efforts helped Ferrari win their first World Constructors' Championship in 16 years.

Irvine received the Hawthorn Memorial Trophy. This award is given to the most successful British or Commonwealth driver in Formula One each year. He was also named Autosport's British Competition Driver of the Year for 1999.

Moving to Jaguar (2000–2002)

2000: A New Challenge

The Jaguar R1 driven by Irvine in 2000

Some former racing drivers doubted Irvine's chances at Jaguar. But former World Champion Jackie Stewart said Irvine had improved a lot. He felt it was time for Irvine to race for himself. Irvine had a tough start. He retired from the first two races in Australia and Brazil after spinning out. However, he finished the next three races, but outside the points. He retired from the European Grand Prix after crashing with Williams driver Ralf Schumacher. At the next race in Monaco, Irvine scored Jaguar's first points with a fourth-place finish.

He had to miss the Austrian Grand Prix due to stomach pains from appendicitis. The team's test driver, Luciano Burti, replaced him. Irvine was fit for the German Grand Prix. He finished tenth despite a spin. He couldn't score more points in the next five races. This included a retirement in Italy when he crashed with Salo on the first lap. He finished the season by completing the final three races. He scored points at the last race in Malaysia, finishing sixth. Irvine finished the season 13th in the Drivers' Championship with four points.

2001: First Jaguar Podium

Irvine's Jaguar R2 for the 2001 season

Irvine stayed at Jaguar for 2001 with Luciano Burti. Despite his frustrations, Jaguar team boss Bobby Rahal supported Irvine. But Irvine was not confident about the team becoming competitive. Rahal became worried about Irvine's attitude when the team's car, the Jaguar R2, was not performing well. Irvine said he would accept being fired if his performance wasn't good enough. Irvine finished 11th in the first race in Australia. He failed to finish the next four races. Before the Spanish Grand Prix, Burti left Jaguar. So Irvine was partnered with Pedro de la Rosa. Irvine finished seventh in the Austrian Grand Prix. He then achieved Jaguar's first podium finish with third place in the next race in Monaco. In June, it was confirmed that Irvine and de la Rosa would stay with Jaguar for 2002.

Despite this success, Irvine failed to finish five of the next eight races. He strained his neck during a test at Silverstone. He rested during the summer break. During this time, Rahal tried to sell Irvine to the Jordan team. Irvine refused because he wanted to help Jaguar improve. This led to Rahal being fired. He was replaced by former World Champion Niki Lauda. At the Belgian Grand Prix, Irvine crashed with Burti. Burti crashed at over 240 km/h. No blame was placed on Irvine. Irvine scored his final points of the season with fifth place in the United States. He ended the season by retiring from the Japanese Grand Prix due to a problem with his car's fuel system. Irvine finished the season 12th in the Drivers' Championship with six points.

2002: Final Season

Irvine driving for Jaguar at the 2002 United States Grand Prix

Irvine stayed at Jaguar for 2002, again with de la Rosa. He prepared for the season with a fitness test and scored well. But he was careful about the team's chances. He said they had to "wait and see what happens with this car." At the first race in Australia, Irvine finished fourth. In the next race in Malaysia, he retired with a hydraulics problem. Irvine then finished seventh in Brazil. After that, he had three retirements in a row. He finished ninth in Monaco. This was followed by seven more consecutive retirements. However, things changed after that. Irvine finished all the remaining races. He scored points twice during this period. He was sixth in Belgium and took his final career podium with third place in Italy. He finished the season ninth in the Drivers' Championship with eight points.

During the season, there were disagreements between Irvine and his team. He was openly frustrated that his car was not improving. Jaguar offered Irvine a lower salary to keep him. But they could not agree. He thought about returning to his old team, Jordan, for 2003. But no agreement was reached due to Jordan's financial problems. Irvine also denied rumors that he would move to other racing series.

Life After Formula One (2003–Present)

Irvine demonstrating a Ferrari 312T3 at the 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

After retiring, Eddie Irvine became involved in media. He appeared on a TV show called The Race on Sky One. In this show, two teams of celebrity racing drivers competed. David Coulthard led the girls' team, and Irvine led the boys' team.

Irvine was already a millionaire from property investments before Formula One. He owns many properties around the world. According to the Sunday Times Rich List in 2006, Irvine was one of the richest people in Northern Ireland. He had increased his personal wealth significantly. He also owns Eddie Irvine Sports. This is a facility in Bangor that offers snooker, pool, kart racing, paintballing, and football.

Nationality in Racing

Eddie Irvine is from Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. So, he was a British citizen throughout his career. However, he also had a racing license from the Republic of Ireland. This caused some confusion. The FIA (the main racing authority) sometimes mistakenly listed him as Irish on official entry lists.

This led to some confusion at podium ceremonies. At some of his early podiums, an Irish Tricolour flag was mistakenly flown. After the 1997 Argentine Grand Prix, his family received threatening phone calls. Irvine then asked that a neutral shamrock flag be flown at future races. He also requested the non-religious "Londonderry Air" be played if he won.

Personal Life

Eddie Irvine said his biggest influence was his former girlfriend Maria Drummond. They met at the Macau Grand Prix in 1988. They remained friends for a year. Their relationship grew deeper when Drummond broke up with her boyfriend. Irvine has a daughter named Zoe from this relationship. He said his daughter's birth was the best moment of his life.

Irvine was known for speaking his mind, which sometimes annoyed people. He was nicknamed "Irv the Swerve" and later "Fast Eddie."

Racing Records

Career Summary

Complete British Formula 3 Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete International Formula 3000 Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Complete Japanese Formula 3000 Championship Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans Results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1992	Toyota Team Tom's Kitz Racing Team with SARD	Roland Ratzenberger Eje Elgh	Toyota 92C-V Toyota R36V 3.6L Turbo V8	C2	321	9th	2nd
1993	Toyota Team Tom's	Toshio Suzuki Masanori Sekiya	Toyota TS010 Toyota RV10 3.5 L V10	C1	364	4th	4th
1994	SARD Company Ltd.	Mauro Martini Jeff Krosnoff	Toyota 94C-V Toyota R36V 3.6 L Turbo V8	LMP1 /C90	343	2nd	1st
Source:

Complete Formula One Grand Prix Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

^† Driver did not finish the Grand Prix, but was classified as they had completed over 90% of the race distance.

See also

In Spanish: Eddie Irvine para niños