Eddie Irvine - shut up!
Discussion
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula...
I keep hearing Eddie Irvine being mentioned commenting on this and that on Formula 1, but who is really interested in his opinion these days? I never understood how he got a Ferrari drive - maybe he was the only one who was happy to be shoemaker's lapdog. Anyway, never liked the guy - he was always trying way too hard to be cool that he always ended up, er looking like he was trying too hard to be cool.
He seems so desperate to be noticed that he's going around making outrageous statement hoping some bored second rate bbc website journalist will mention him!
Shut up Irvine!
I keep hearing Eddie Irvine being mentioned commenting on this and that on Formula 1, but who is really interested in his opinion these days? I never understood how he got a Ferrari drive - maybe he was the only one who was happy to be shoemaker's lapdog. Anyway, never liked the guy - he was always trying way too hard to be cool that he always ended up, er looking like he was trying too hard to be cool.
He seems so desperate to be noticed that he's going around making outrageous statement hoping some bored second rate bbc website journalist will mention him!
Shut up Irvine!
A top driver in his day and one with opinions that he was/is prepared to speak out about, I don't see a problem with that.
I prefer that to someone who will toe the FIA/Bernie line all the time.
I am also slightly biased toward Irvine as I worked with a guy who lived close to Irvine in Ireland and he told me about a couple of good things Irvine did.
Edited as I couldn't spell FIA
I prefer that to someone who will toe the FIA/Bernie line all the time.
I am also slightly biased toward Irvine as I worked with a guy who lived close to Irvine in Ireland and he told me about a couple of good things Irvine did.
Edited as I couldn't spell FIA
Edited by Corpulent Tosser on Saturday 9th January 06:48
I kinda liked the guy when he was racing, and he was very much one the outstanding personalities on the grid when he was at Ferrari. I always felt like he was over compensating though and he'd go on one of his caustic attacks either for the sake of it or to deflect attention away from the often mentioned fact that he a was paid to lose as a driver. Which he grew to hate hearing more and more.
Proved very much by his bile fuelled attacks on DC after Ron Dennis knocked him back for a job telling Irvine he wouldn't employ him to replace Coulthard as he was no better a driver than him. Irvine lost his chance to compete on equal terms and buy his soul back from the devil after selling it for the seat next to MS, and would rant about DC from there on in until the day he left Jaguar. Mostly unprovoked too.
The guy lived the F1 lifestyle of old and I loved the period he was about when driving because of it, but this recent out pouring about Button smacks of the old bitterness that would betray Irvine's true character. Let's face facts, Button won the WDC, Irvine didn't, even when he had the best chance in his life to do so he didn't win it. So make statements about Button getting spanked in 2010, and question the value of his WDC all he wants, but in this instance, IMHO I think Irvine has made himself look silly and more than a little bitter about his own lack of achievements in F1. Through his own making to boot I might add.
So yes, shut up Eddie on this occasion!
Proved very much by his bile fuelled attacks on DC after Ron Dennis knocked him back for a job telling Irvine he wouldn't employ him to replace Coulthard as he was no better a driver than him. Irvine lost his chance to compete on equal terms and buy his soul back from the devil after selling it for the seat next to MS, and would rant about DC from there on in until the day he left Jaguar. Mostly unprovoked too.
The guy lived the F1 lifestyle of old and I loved the period he was about when driving because of it, but this recent out pouring about Button smacks of the old bitterness that would betray Irvine's true character. Let's face facts, Button won the WDC, Irvine didn't, even when he had the best chance in his life to do so he didn't win it. So make statements about Button getting spanked in 2010, and question the value of his WDC all he wants, but in this instance, IMHO I think Irvine has made himself look silly and more than a little bitter about his own lack of achievements in F1. Through his own making to boot I might add.
So yes, shut up Eddie on this occasion!
Corpulent Tosser said:
A top driver in his day and one with opinions that he was/is prepared to speak out about, I don't see a problem with that.
He didn't seem to be consistent with his statements, other than he was better than everyone else apart from MS. He just seemed to take the opposite view to everyone else. It was as if he said things just to get in the press.He was highly critical of other drivers, at least in his Ferrari days, who, with inferior equipment, performed tremendously.
He sold out, of that there is little doubt. He joined Ferrari knowing full well that his only function was to stop one side of the Ferrari pit looking empty. I can understand that: the chap had an expensive lifestyle. He would not have been able to fund it in a less well financed team.
But he missed his time. He was a dilettante up against professionals. He was amusing but not, I felt, exciting.
When MS crashed at Stowe and vacated the top spot he was unable to move up. Whilst the Ferrari didn’t seem to enjoy its customary significant advantage over the rest of the field it was still a tremendous car and one that was inferior to none. And he did very little with it. He had his chance and blew it.
He had excuses, but I can’t help thinking that had he dedicated himself to his sport a little more earlier on in his tenure with Ferrari he would have been WDC. But the team support wasn’t there. He didn’t know the MO for trying to win.
spunkytherabbit said:
I also think it's all credit to Button for not stating the obvious about the man criticising him. Although I'm guessing there is a bit of the Mclaren corporate gag getting placed on him now.
Button has more than his fair share of doubters, many of them vocal, but i cant remember him ever lowering himself to the point of engaging with them. i dont think mclaren need to tell him how behave as it seems this is one area he has covered.Whos going to be the next one to stand up and tell him he cant cut it with the big boys? hopefully hi will use all this critisism to fuel the fire.
Go button!
I'm a Button fan, i like the guy alot, but many years ago, i was a hardcore Eddie Irvine fan.
He was a true playboy, outspoken, and one of the last of the 'real' drivers, with love them or hate them personalities. He was far from the best driver in F1, but he had his moments, even dragged that rubbish Jag up to a podium a few times, and he gave it his best shot in the year schumy crashed. His debut few races in the sport were certainly interesting too, unlapping himself against Senna, more drivers like him today would make the sport much much more interesting.
As for what he says... well hes outspoken, thats just eddie, not afraid to have an opinion and to put it out there without watering it down, although i disagree with the opinion on this occasion, i'm still glad there are a handful of people out there who are happy to say what they think. I wish he was still involved in F1 in some capacity, even if its just to throw out some opinions and stir things up. To be honest he has said no different to what alot of people on pistonheads have said about button v hamilton, he is just saying what alot of people are thinking.
He was a true playboy, outspoken, and one of the last of the 'real' drivers, with love them or hate them personalities. He was far from the best driver in F1, but he had his moments, even dragged that rubbish Jag up to a podium a few times, and he gave it his best shot in the year schumy crashed. His debut few races in the sport were certainly interesting too, unlapping himself against Senna, more drivers like him today would make the sport much much more interesting.
As for what he says... well hes outspoken, thats just eddie, not afraid to have an opinion and to put it out there without watering it down, although i disagree with the opinion on this occasion, i'm still glad there are a handful of people out there who are happy to say what they think. I wish he was still involved in F1 in some capacity, even if its just to throw out some opinions and stir things up. To be honest he has said no different to what alot of people on pistonheads have said about button v hamilton, he is just saying what alot of people are thinking.
RE Derek Smith - (quote didn't work)
I'm not sure about this, he came very close to the WDC, on the points system introduced shortly after he would have been WDC with one race to go. Hakkinen was a great driver, and to finish within two points of him is impressive, Eddie had a great season, and with a tiny bit of extra luck it could have been his title. I don't think for one minute Eddie is an equal driver to Hakkinen or Schumy, but i think he was equal to anyone else racing that season, he had his chance and ran a great driver very very close, winning ferrari thier first constructors championship since 1983 in the process. Schumy had a few years prior to this shooting at the title and hadn't managed it, so i think you are being a bit harsh on Irvine.
I'm not sure about this, he came very close to the WDC, on the points system introduced shortly after he would have been WDC with one race to go. Hakkinen was a great driver, and to finish within two points of him is impressive, Eddie had a great season, and with a tiny bit of extra luck it could have been his title. I don't think for one minute Eddie is an equal driver to Hakkinen or Schumy, but i think he was equal to anyone else racing that season, he had his chance and ran a great driver very very close, winning ferrari thier first constructors championship since 1983 in the process. Schumy had a few years prior to this shooting at the title and hadn't managed it, so i think you are being a bit harsh on Irvine.
Edited by Forbes82 on Saturday 9th January 12:12
Forbes82 said:
RE Derek Smith - (quote didn't work)
I'm not sure about this, he came very close to the WDC, on the points system introduced shortly after he would have been WDC with one race to go. Hakkinen was a great driver, and to finish within two points of him is impressive, Eddie had a great season, and with a tiny bit of extra luck it could have been his title. I don't think for one minute Eddie is an equal driver to Hakkinen or Schumy, but i think he was equal to anyone else racing that season, he had his chance and ran a great driver very very close, winning ferrari thier first constructors championship since 1983 in the process. Schumy had a few years prior to this shooting at the title and hadn't managed it, so i think you are being a bit harsh on Irvine.
There were a few very good reasons why Irv didnt win the championship that year, not least being Ferrari not really wanting him to! With the whole team behind MS, they would rather have waited than have their no 2 driver win it.I'm not sure about this, he came very close to the WDC, on the points system introduced shortly after he would have been WDC with one race to go. Hakkinen was a great driver, and to finish within two points of him is impressive, Eddie had a great season, and with a tiny bit of extra luck it could have been his title. I don't think for one minute Eddie is an equal driver to Hakkinen or Schumy, but i think he was equal to anyone else racing that season, he had his chance and ran a great driver very very close, winning ferrari thier first constructors championship since 1983 in the process. Schumy had a few years prior to this shooting at the title and hadn't managed it, so i think you are being a bit harsh on Irvine.
Edited by Forbes82 on Saturday 9th January 12:12
I thought that Irv did a pretty good job that year - and have always felt he would have won if the team had given him the equivalent level of support they gave MS.
ETA - Worth remembering that had he been in a similar position from the earlier in the year (IE no MS) then he would possibly/probably have won, though what that proves, I am not sure!
Edited by Rollcage on Saturday 9th January 12:47
Forbes82 said:
so i think you are being a bit harsh on Irvine.
Perhaps you are right. I can't say I like the bloke and this makes it difficult to judge him so I can't really argue with you.He criticises other drivers without, perhaps, the statistics to back it up. I'm old fashioned in that respect and don't like the personal bit.
I did a bit on him when I had an online F1 fanzine. I picked some of his criticisms of other drivers and then identified where he's been as bad or worse. It was partial as few other drivers were quite so critical of others, apart from in the heat of the moment. I got a load of emails telling me I was wrong - it was meant to be funny so I accept that - but the majority were from women. Sort of summed him up. One said that Eddie was second only to J.Villeneuve in ability. I had to agree with her apart from the only.
The only thing I will say though is that he is intelligent and walked into Ferrari knowing full well what his position would be. That, to me at least, does not indicate the right mindset for a quality driver. He wasted what talent he had. The question is, how much of a waste it was.
Potential world champ? Nope.
Only got close because Ferrari had the equipment, their lead driver was out of action and McLaren made several errors that year. He won in Australia by being the last man standing and had to ask Salo to gift him the German GP, a driver in his second race for the team!
I guess he's speaking out in the hope someone might remember who he is
Only got close because Ferrari had the equipment, their lead driver was out of action and McLaren made several errors that year. He won in Australia by being the last man standing and had to ask Salo to gift him the German GP, a driver in his second race for the team!
I guess he's speaking out in the hope someone might remember who he is
kevin ritson said:
Potential world champ? Nope.
Only got close because Ferrari had the equipment, their lead driver was out of action and McLaren made several errors that year. He won in Australia by being the last man standing and had to ask Salo to gift him the German GP, a driver in his second race for the team!
I guess he's speaking out in the hope someone might remember who he is
As I hinted, it is all ifs, buts and maybes! The only thing for sure is that, for whatever reason, EI didnt win the championship, which is all that matters, whatever the circumstances!Only got close because Ferrari had the equipment, their lead driver was out of action and McLaren made several errors that year. He won in Australia by being the last man standing and had to ask Salo to gift him the German GP, a driver in his second race for the team!
I guess he's speaking out in the hope someone might remember who he is
As for potential World Champ, I imagine you really mean "Deserving World Champ had he won?"
Derek Smith said:
The only thing I will say though is that he is intelligent and walked into Ferrari knowing full well what his position would be. That, to me at least, does not indicate the right mindset for a quality driver. He wasted what talent he had. The question is, how much of a waste it was.
Exactly. He signed the contract at Ferrari to be number two, and he sold his racing driver soul to get the pay cheque to be that. Only to then bristle and become obnoxious when he was reminded of it and people question his actual motivations. Which any pitlane pundit, casual observer or full time F1 employee was always going to do. He got extremely bitter when Ron Dennis refused him a Mclaren drive and he failed to step up to the required level to win the WDC when he became Ferrari number one after Mr S crashed.You can quote how the change in the points system would have made him WDC all you like, the fact is he didn't score enough points and when the pressure was put on him, he cracked botching a crucial pit stop and eventually needing his stand in team mate to pull over for him to artificially increase his points tally. Hockenheim wasn't it?
Irvine was an excellent number two driver and without a doubt he contributed to Ferrari's first constructors crown. He wasn't however second only to MS as he bitterly stated he was on several occasions (usually whilst liberally sticking the knife in many other drivers), and the fact that he didn't win the WDC when Schumacher was absent is case in point and nothing at all to do with personalities.
Yes he has an opinion, just like every person has the right to, but not every one of them is worth hearing. Especially when so hypocritical as his dig at Button is.
Forums | General Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff