Eddie Irvine-at-Ferrari stories?

I'll start:

Back in '99 we were at the Montreal GP. Irvine drove a race like a man obsessed. It was one of the most inspired performances I have seen, quite honestly. And that says a lot, since I was always luke-warm at best about him. Anyways, he really had the crowd fired up with his hard charging and passes. After the race (I've forgotten the details, but I think he finished 2nd? Andreas?) and subsequent ceremony, a large crowd remained outside the Ferrari garage, as well as the main grandstand. Eddie re-emerged, fists pumping, and eventually breaking into a celebratory jig for the entertainment of the fans. You could tell it was a performance he was very proud of, and a day he didn't want to end.

 

Don't remember off hand Jack and I'm always too lazy to look anything up.


There is a good Irivine story in the "Schumacher forced to apologize" thread.

Not really a story, but he always made me smile with his outrageous comments including the one where he says MS is #1 and he (Eddie) is the 2nd best driver in the world. Bold as ever.

Not in his Ferrari days, but still: I think it was Eddie who collided with Piquet in the Ostkurve chicane at Hockenheim. They both got out and Nelson lost it and punched him on the helmet. I bet that must have hurt Nelson more than Eddie.

 

That was Eliseo Salazar.....don't think Eddie and Nelson ever raced together in F1. Eddie debuted in 1993 , I think, and Piquet was done by end of 91..after MS arrived.

hps

 

Ah, ok, thanks. My memory is leaking. Obviously.

 

That was a good one. Piquet threw a punch and than some sort of a girlie kick at Salazar.

 

Going back to Eddie Irvine. Ford's chairman Bill Ford Jr., upon reviewing his top paid employees discovered that the Company's highest paid was a so called Eddie Irvine of whom he had never heard, and replied "Who in the hell is Eddie Irvine?"

At the time Eddie was collecting a healthy $10 million salary.

 

No, Eddie had the honor of being punched by Ayrton Senna because Ayrton was about to lap Eddie and Eddie got in to the McLaren, taking them both out.

 

Reminds me of another Eddie "story": He left F1 allegedly as one of the wealthiest drivers ever. He is said to be worth a quarter billion: He invested a lot of his salaries in real estate globally and allegedly made a killing.

Another story I'm happy to say I know first hand: His parents continued to visit the GPs after his retirement. He bought them a brand new RV. They just liked to hang out at the European race tracks.

 

He didn't hit Senna, he unlapped himself, in the rain supposedly to get at Hill whom Senna was in the process of lapping and almost took them both off which would have cost Senna the race win. I beieve this was Irvine's first F1 race. I don't really blame Senna i would have taken a swat at Irivne too.

 

Eddie's 2 books 'Green Races Red' and 'Life In The Fast Lane' are both quite entertaining. There is also a video documentary called 'Life In The Fast Lane' which documents his 1999 Season when he came sooooo close to winning the title for the Scuderia 20 years since their last drivers title.

One of my favourite Irvine stories is that in 1995 he had just signed the contract to go to Ferrari next year. He saw Luca Di Montezemolo on the grid and went to speak to him. He said "Hi, my name's Eddie and I'll be driving for you next year. Will I get a discount for parts for my GTO?"