Eddie can only talk a good race

13 April 2012

Eddie Irvine must yearn for the days when he could rightfully be described as motormouth. He still has the gob on him. It's just the 'motor' part which is lacking.

Three years ago, thanks to Michael Schumacher's broken leg at Silverstone, Irvine spearheaded Ferrari's title challenge and fell short of the world championship by a mere two points.

This time he goes into what is probably the last British Grand Prix of his career with a scant three points from nine races, and even those were thanks to a fluke fourth place in the first race back in March.

The signs ahead for Irvine are not promising. The Ulsterman, 37 in November, is the oldest man on the grid. He is in the final season of an £18 million three-year deal with Jaguar which has yielded only fleeting moments of reward when other cars have fallen off the track.

Now the team are not bothering to be subtle about testing three cheaper young guns to take Irvine's place - better to divert resources into building a less hopeless car for next year.

But far from crying over his ignominious departure, Irvine doesn't give a stuff. Indeed he intends to go before he is pushed if Jaguar's new aerodynamic parts, which are designed to provide better performance for the remainder of the season, do not come up to scratch.

Jaguar hope to introduce the improved car at the British Grand Prix on Sunday.

"I have found out this year that I am not interested in just participating in Formula One," he announced. "I have pretty much proved that to myself after a ridiculous start to the year. I don't need money. I want results.

"I won't make the mistake others have of staying around too long. I won't do that because I have the guts to walk out halfway through. I am not going to do a Damon (Hill) and hang around for a final cheque."

Impressive results have not been awfully likely at the helm of Jaguar's R3, which was disastrously found to have a key design fault in pre-season testing and has spent every race fighting Minardi for last place on the grid. Unusually, Sky's subscription channel F1 Digital is offering the R3 as a prize, which some lucky viewer will receive after the last race in Japan.

But so notoriously duff is the R3 that the competition has prompted many a snigger in the Formula One paddock.

Some have helpfully suggested that Jaguar could do themselves a favour by giving the prize to the winner sooner rather than later, since no replacement vehicle could be worse than this year's dog of a chariot.

Meantime, it has been Irvine's task to pilot the car which is the butt of all the jokes.

"If I got $10 million extra it would not make my life any better," said Irvine. "If I got 10 podiums I would feel like a king.

"Money is never irrelevant but it is not the deciding factor for me. If they find someone better for the job then I won't stand in their way."

The trio of drivers who have caught Jaguar's eye as a possible replacement includes Fernando Alonso, Renault's regular test driver, who would cost a fraction of Irvine's price. Also under consideration, it seems, is Jenson Button whose security of tenure at Renault is in doubt despite vastly improved performances this year.

Meantime, Irvine is in no danger of becoming all misty-eyed at the prospect of his final British Grand Prix on the sacred Silverstone circuit.

"I've always preferred Brands Hatch," he barked. "I would rather race there. It's got something you can't buy - atmosphere. It's a natural amphitheatre, it's near London, it's in beautiful countryside and it's not windswept and flat. Silverstone is just another race with a lot of extra aggro."

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Eddie can only talk a good race

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