British · Newtownards, Northern Ireland · Born 10 November 1965Northern Irish racing driver who finished runner-up in the 1999 Formula 1 World Championship with Ferrari, deputising for the injured Michael Schumacher for much of the season.
Born on 10 November 1965 in Newtownards, Northern Ireland, Eddie Irvine progressed through Formula Ford and Formula 3000 before making his Formula 1 debut with Jordan at the 1993 Japanese Grand Prix. He moved to Ferrari in 1996 as teammate to Michael Schumacher, a role in which he was primarily expected to support the German's championship campaigns. Irvine's fortunes changed dramatically in 1999 when Schumacher broke his leg in a crash at the British Grand Prix, thrusting Irvine into the role of Ferrari's lead title contender for the remainder of the season. Irvine rose to the occasion, winning the Australian and Malaysian Grands Prix (the latter result later amended following a technical protest) and taking the championship fight to the final round in Japan. Irvine ultimately finished runner-up in the 1999 Drivers' Championship, two points behind Mika Häkkinen, in what remains the closest a Northern Irish driver has come to the sport's top prize. He won four Grands Prix across his ten-season Formula 1 career, which also included spells with Jaguar before his retirement in 2002. Known for a blunt, outspoken personality both on and off the track, Irvine has remained a colourful figure in motorsport media since retiring, and his 1999 title challenge remains one of the more improbable near-misses in the sport's modern history.
Finishing runner-up in the 1999 World Championship for Ferrari after Michael Schumacher's mid-season injury
How They Played
Consistent, opportunistic racer who capitalised fully when handed a leading role
Lasting Impact
The closest a Northern Irish driver has come to winning the Formula 1 World Championship
British Athletes