Eddie Irvine

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Eddie and Ferrari

Eddie's arrival at Ferrari was something none of the tifosi could have predicted. At Jordan he was seen as one of Formula One's "danger areas", with a reputation for speaking his mind and somehow always being involved or near any major accident that happened on the track. His daring acts often got him into trouble with his fellow racers, most notably when he decided to pass Ayrton Senna after Senna had just lapped him. The result of that manouever was that Eddie felt Senna's anger physically after the race. So it was with some surprise and a little bewilderment that the tifosi welcomed Eddie to the team. Although many thought his appointment as number two to Michael a mistake many others felt that his previous showings indicated that he had the heart of a true Ferrari driver, someone who would take the car by the scruff of the neck and make it do things a racing car isn't meant to do. And this has proved to be true. Since joining Ferrari, Eddie has shown the skill and courage that is lacking in many of the sports top drivers and even when hampered by a difficult car, he has wrung more out of it than any other driver could.

Just as it was for Michael, 1996 was a difficult year for Eddie, as not only did he suddenly find himself driving for the world's greatest Formula One team, but he also found himself being the team mate of the world's greatest driver. As has been seen from Michael's time at Benetton, this is no easy task, but Eddie has proved to be the best team mate Michael has ever had and more importantly he has earned Michael's respect, something which few others have or will earn. 1996 was also difficult because with a lack of testing time and an unreliable F310, Eddie rarely got the chance to prove that he was one of the fastest men in the sport. In 17 races the F310 only took Eddie to four finishes in the points.

1997 was the year Eddie finally got to prove that he was one of the best drivers in Formula One. Although once again hampered by a car he found difficult to set up, he drove storming races and almost all of his finishes resulted in podium places. Eddie was able to dice with the best and he often left some of the top drivers looking like amateurs. He produced drives that showed he had the heart of a true Ferrari driver with many being reminicent of those driven by the team's greatest drivers of the past. The 1997 season proved that Ferrari's faith in him was justified and he was accepted by even the most sceptical of the tifosi when he showed his true ability at the penultimate Suzuka in Japan. This was a classic Ferrari race where Eddie was the key and pivotal figure to Michael's win and championship fight back. The skill and determination he showed in the race proved him as a great driver and one of Ferrari's greatest investments.

The launch of the F300 brought about a new optimism for Eddie and 1998 has seen him mature as a racing driver. With an incredible number of podium finishes this year he is as responsible as Michael is for the teams current performance in the Constructor's Championship. With his continued effort and pace the title is likely to be snatched away from McLaren's grasp.