Bye Bye Irvine

[Finish]

According to reports in the Sun, Jaguar Racing have dumped Eddie Irvine from their 2003 driver-line-up, the Irishman receiving a phone call from team boss Niki Lauda while relaxing at his Miami home. The report states that Eddie wasn't the only one dumped by the Milton Keynes based squad with this year's teammate Pedro de la Rosa also informed that his future services won't be required.

Irvine, currently the oldest driver in the field and the one that saved the team from being a complete laughing stock by scoring all of their eight points this season, will be replaced by Australian driver Mark Webber while BMW Williams test driver Antonio Pizzonia will take de la Rosa's place. While shocked by the news, especially that the team plan on fielding two inexperienced drivers, Irvine said that it doesn't really affect his future plans.

"This doesn't really affect my plans for the future, but if I were a team boss, I wouldn't be happy fielding two inexperienced drivers,” he told the Sun. “With the new qualifying rules, drivers have just one flying lap to gain grid position and the experienced men will have an advantage."

"To have one of the most famous names in motor racing fielding two inexperienced drivers is a complete joke,” the paper quoted a source close to the team as saying. “Pedro failed to score a single point last season and if it hadn't been for Eddie's skills behind the wheel, Jaguar would have finished rock bottom in the championship. Eddie upset a few people with his straight talking but he proved time and again that his theories on making the car go quicker were right. As soon as the team started listening to him and made the changes he wanted, the car was more competitive and Eddie was immediately battling for points."

Eddie's contract came to a close this year, but Pedro still had one year to run on his, however it was revealed at the penultimate round of the 2002 season that the team were far from impressed with the Spaniard. Eddie will now have to look for a drive with Jordan alongside Giancarlo Fisichella while Pedro's only option left would be with Minardi.

bron: f1-live.com

De La Rosa zie ik volgend jaar niet meer terug. Irvine bij Jordan lijkt me na Sato's 5de plaats in Japan ook niet echt gegarandeerd. En Irvine had niets tegen een rol als testrijder (of was dat een gerucht?)

Webber en Pizzonia ? Qua jaarloon ligt dat ongetwijfeld wat lager dan Irvine en De La Rosa, maar of dit wel een goede keuze is ? Vooral Pizzonia dan ?

[JPMontoya]

en wat dan met het contract van Pedro voor 2003 ?
dat gaat ze bij Jag veel geld kosten

[Finish]

't Is trouwens niet de eerste keer dat z'n contract in de prullenmand wordt gesmeten

Die kerel moet het nu toch wel stilletjesaan beu zijn

[Werner333]

All-new line-up confirmed for 2003

Jaguar has confirmed that it will drop experienced duo Eddie Irvine and Pedro de la Rosa for 2003 in favour of rising stars Mark Webber and Antonio Pizzonia.

The pair have long been tipped as the favourites for the drives, but the double-signing rested on Jaguar reaching a settlement with de la Rosa, who still had a season to run on his contract. Irvine's deal had already run out.

Team boss Niki Lauda said: "I am thrilled to be welcoming Antonio and Mark to Jaguar Racing for what promises to be an exciting new partnership in Formula 1.

"In Antonio, or 'Jungle Boy' as he has been nicknamed, we have a very gifted raw racer who will undoubtedly inject a new lease of life into F1. His speed and racing instinct are what attracted us to him and I have little doubt in his ability to shake up the establishment in a big way.

"Mark on the other hand has solid F1 experience and now's his chance to prove exactly what he is capable of. We have two very different characters and I have every intention of revving them up in an effort to extract the maximum from them."

Next year will be former Williams test driver Pizzonia's maiden season as a grand prix driver. "Having spent a year testing solidly for BMW WilliamsF1, the logical next step was to secure a race drive for 2003 and to have been given that opportunity by Niki Lauda is simply fantastic," he said.

Former Minardi racer Webber said: "I'm truly excited about racing for Jaguar next season. It is one of the most emotive and successful names in motor racing and one that has a wealth of motorsport heritage.

"It is critical that Antonio and I help accelerate the team's progress over the winter so as to be ready for what promises to be a very exciting season given the revised format of the race weekend."

Both drivers tested for Jaguar earlier this year as part of the team's evaluation of up and coming new talent.

Bron: http://www.autosport.com/

[Megane]

Een kleurrijk figuur minder in de F1, nu alleen nog Villeneuve en soms Button die iets durven zeggen tegen de stroming in.
Straks zijn het allemaal poppetjes van Bernie.

[TiBo]

Ligt het aan mij, ... of zijn de IQ's in de Formule 1 de laatste weken sterk gedaald?

Regelaanpassingen, ontslagen, circuits die gewipt worden, ...

"Show me the money!" gaat hoe langer hoe meer op.

[Finish]

Brengen Webber en Pizzonia dan genoeg geld mee ?

Akkoord dat Irvine's salaris ridicuul hoog lag (iedereen kent die grap wel van de Fordbaas die zich afvroeg wie die vetbetaalde Eddie Irvine was), maar zijn prestaties in de Jaguar mochten er bij momenten toch wel zijn. Hoogtepunten die 3de plaats in Monaco 01 en Monza 02.

Maar al bij al toch een goede keuze van Jaguar. Ze moeten hoedanook een andere weg inslaan, een nieuw rijdersduo is dan altijd mooi meegenomen.

[Ferrari Forever]

Als rijder vond ik Irvine nooit uitmuntend. Zeker één van de betere piloten, maar toch geen echt supertalent.
Hij was wel één van de weinige piloten die de F1 nog wat glans en glamour gaf.
Playboy, levensgenieter en een grote muil. Een zeldzaamheid in de formule 1 van vandaag en op dat gebied zeker een verlies.

[Werner333]

Er zou nog een kans zijn dat hij bij Jordan kan gaan rijden.

[Raceboy]

Lauda: Irvine was too demanding Jaguar boss gives reasons for ditching driver
Lauda claims he never rowed with Irvine

Jaguar Racing chief Niki Lauda has revealed some of his reasons for not re-signing Eddie Irvine.

Irvine and teammate Pedro de la Rosa have both been dropped by Jaguar next season in favour of the relatively inexperienced pairing of Mark Webber and Antonio Pizzonia.

Speaking to the News of the World, Lauda said of Irvine: "He is a very demanding driver. He did cause friction but that's Eddie for you.

"People got upset by things that were said. I'm not so sensitive but the team suffered a bit on these issues."

Eddie is very direct and he doesn't necessarily think about other people's feelings

Lauda denied reports that he had rowed with Irvine, saying: "That's absolutely untrue. That was never the case. From my point of view things were always friendly. I never had a problem with Irvine personally."

Meanwhile, Jenson Button has given his opinion on Irvine's future. He told the Daily Mirror: "I'm not really bothered if Eddie gets a drive."

Button admitted Irvine's outspoken attitude was good for the sport, but added: "He's getting on a bit now and there are a lot of new drivers who are very quick and who should be given a chance."

bron: autosport.com

[Sway Bar]

Wie gaat er dan volgend jaar met jaquar rijden?
allé de stoeltjes dans is terug begonnen, allemaal hebben ze nog kans om ergens een zitje te vinden maar ofdat het vast staat is nog een andere zaak.

[Finish]

Wie gaat er dan volgend jaar met jaquar rijden?

--> Pizzonia en Webber Staat al vast sinds vorige week vrijdag

[Sway Bar]

Oeps, ik kom achter

[Raceboy]

Eddie Irvine has expressed a desire to sample a World Rally Car - and Ford could be about to grant his wish.

The dumped Jaguar driver may get the opportunity to try out Colin McRae's Ford Focus some time in the future.

"When I was a kid, I used to drive a Sunbeam up and down some dirt tracks but I've never driven a full-blow World Championship machine," Irvine told The Sun newspaper.

"The details have not been finalised, but I'd love a little blast in the car and then have Colin drive me around. Hopefully, he won't crash."

Ford motorsport director Martin Whitaker said: "Eddie has always wanted to experience what our rally car is like and we hope to grant his wish."

bron: autosport.com

[Bam-Bam]

"It was truly awesome and in all honesty I have to confess the experience was better than sex"


Eddie Irvine nadat hij als codriver van McRae mocht fungeren.... om maar te zeggen dat het echt wel indrukwekkend is wat die mannen doen.