Published in Superbike Magazine March 2000
He’s cool as a cucumber and Britain’s Big Hope to bring back the Formula One World Championship. Suzi Perry meets Eddie Irvine, who just happens to keep an MV Agusta F4 in the garage alongside his four Ferraris...
He arrived, surrounded by a pack of desperate paparazzi, lit by hundreds of flash bulbs. Footballer David Ginola encountered much of the same at Daytona Karting track in downtown Park Royal. All sports journos were banned, he would be giving no interviews. But they’d figured without me – oh yes he bloody would!
The name’s Irvine, Eddie Irvine. He’s been called the ultimate playboy with homes in Milan, Dublin, Oxford oh, and not forgetting ‘the boat’ (as he calls it) in PortoFino of course. Toys? Well there’s his helicopter, jet skis, private jet, four Ferraris, countless model-type girlfriends but more importantly to us, his collection of motorcycles.
Eddie, how can you stand the press on you all the time?
I know, it drives me crazy, sometimes you just want to pick your nose and they’re always trying to catch you out! But then if you don’t want to be photographed you don’t go to San Lorenzo’s for dinner. So tell me, what do you do?
No you tell me. What bikes do you have?
Oh, I’ve got loads! Well you know about my MV Agusta, but I don’t like riding on the roads too much, it’s pretty scary out there. I’ve never trusted myself on a bike too much, so the MV will be a piece for my living room. I wanna be able to start it up now and again, but it’s like a work of art. I’ve got a Harley Fatboy that I do ride, because it’s slow and comfortable. Couldn’t damage myself on that, or at least that’s what I tell myself.
Did you buy these bikes or were they given to you?
Well a bit of both really. I’ve got three GasGas Trials bikes. I used to ride a lot of motocross near my home, not now because it’s too dangerous, but it used to be my training. I had a Yamaha YZ250 ’crosser and normally when I got all sideways I always knew I was going to lose it, so I would brace myself and it would happen in slow motion. But this one time I was riding along, next minute I’m on the deck and I never saw it coming! I really hurt my leg and my shoulder, I thought I’d broken my leg. Like, it was numb and facing the wrong way, the foot wouldn’t move and the knee slopped over, I just couldn’t move and this was two weeks before the start of the season! It fuckin’ hurt like hell but I recovered. I still love riding off-road though, I’ve two GasGas trial bikes down at the boat, and in Ireland I love riding up into the hills.
Alone or accompanied?
Always with a friend if possible, it’s not as much fun on your own. You try and get up something and then they have to try, its competitive and more fun like that.
How competitive are you?
Quite, but not always. I don’t want to be competitive to the point where if I don’t win then I’m annoyed. I mean on trials bikes I wanna try and get up but if my friend beats me then great, fair play, I’m pleased for him. I’m just happy that he can get up something that I can’t!
Can I quote that your mate "can get up something you can’t?"
You’ve a dirty mind, woman! Anyway, back to the motorcycles. I’ve lost my track. Um, yes, so five trials bikes, a Triumph and a KTM200 which is brand new. I was gonna use it but it’s too beautiful so it’s in my garage. I had a Ducati 916 SPS but it got stolen so I bought another and I’ve some scooters too.
When did you start riding? Did you consider racing bikes?
My first bike was a Honda step-through, and I never really considered racing cars, it just sort of happened. I was always racing round the field on bikes, but I never raced properly. That’s why I was never good at jumps because the field was so flat.
Are you allowed to ride now with all your contracts and clauses?
Insurance probably doesn’t cover me, no. I have to be very careful. You know when you get older you lose your nerve also, the things I used to do I wouldn’t dream of doing now. I rode when I was 16, then nothing much until I was 30 and I lost my balls. That’s why the trials suit me because I’m an old ’un!
Murray Walker said to me that modern bike riders make F1 guys look like wimps.
Well yes and no. They fall off and normally slide down the track in their leathers on their arse, but the guys I think are mad are the TT boys. These guys are barking mad! The adrenaline rush must be amazing but how can you be on the limit? I mean I spin off in testing about 8 times a day, but the first time they come off is probably their last, they just can’t afford to fall. Those highsides on the track look pretty unhealthy though...
Do you watch the bikes on TV?
I catch a bit of the Superbikes but I really watch the 500s and 250s. I think Valentino Rossi’s great, a cool guy and so full of life. I think he’s more popular in Italy now than Biaggi. People warm to him because he’s always laughing and joking and he doesn’t give a shit, he’s out there having fun but he can still do the job at the same time. For me Doohan was the man to beat, it’s a shame that Fogarty didn’t go to 500s to race him. That to me is the cream of bike racing out there.
What do you get sick of most, being away from home so much?Well I miss just being at home, but I get fed up of having my photograph taken there, I really hate that and now when
I’m on the boat they’ve got the big zoom lenses, you know?
A big move for you this year – why the switch to Jaguar?
I was fed up with Ferrari, the team, I’d had four great years there and I wanted to do something different. The Jaguar thing came up and I thought "perfect. I’ve the chance to build something." I’m a lot more interested in building something than arriving at something that’s already there. It had everything going for it, everything. More satisfaction, more money, a lot more years in the contract and more potential in every way.
A new lease of life then?
Yes, definitely. Okay, the results may not be as good as they were last year but they aren’t everything. I need personal satisfaction from a result also. I mean, with bikes they are more evenly matched than cars, but if you don’t have the right car it’s impossible to win. I reckon you can get as much satisfaction from coming third in an inferior car as winning in a superior one.
So what would your personal goal for this year be?
To try to beat Jordan as often as possible and occasionally race the Ferraris, as long as we are getting better and better. We’re starting from a medium base and I want to be going up all the time. I don’t want a few lucky results at the start and think everything is fantastic, we have to move up and up. We have to see the light!
Oh, how philosophical. When you first came into F1 in 1991 and had all that hassle with Ayrton Senna and the ban the next year, what were you thinking at that time?
I was thinking fuck this, I want to be back in Japan! I found all the headlines so bloody embarrassing. I was sat on the plane from the Japanese Grand Prix after Senna and I had had our little disagreement (Irvine had put in a hard overtake on Senna after ‘un-lapping’ himself as the circuit got wetter, and an enraged Senna had whalloped him back in the pits) and I just hoped no-one would recognise me. I didn’t realise what a big story it was. Then my parents arrived over with all the European papers and I just thought, Holy shit! I was thinking of ringing Jordan up and saying I wasn’t coming to Australia, but I did the race and although I was keen to go back to Formula 3000 in Japan, I ended up staying with F1 which turned out pretty good.
You liked Japan?
Yes, I loved it
I was out there for almost a year myself
When was that?
Erm, between 1992 and 1993
I was there then! Did you go to the Lexington Queen? (A club in Roppongi.) I lived there.
Oh my God, Lexington Queen yes, of course I did, fancy not seeing you!
They were the best years, that club has photos of me through the years getting older, greyer and wrinklier! It’s like a diary of my life in Japan, quite nice really.
Has your family been a stabilising influence on you? Are you close as a family unit?
Well we are and we’re not. I see them a lot at races, but not much otherwise. I don’t get back to Ireland that much and they don’t intrude on my life. I mean they wouldn’t just turn up at the boat for fear of what may be going on! So they’re good in that way, they never assume I’ll just be around, or whatever.
Don’t you ever get sick of beautiful women throwing themselves at you? Wouldn’t you fancy bedding some 20 stone, hairy-armpitted, ugly old boiler with halitosis for a change?
I think I’ll have enough years of them after I’ve finished Formula 1, don’t you? I’d better load up on the good-looking ones now while the going is good! I have to admit that I’m pretty shallow when it comes to women. Being famous is a great education in the behaviour of women, but I think I can tell whether a woman is genuine or not. Incidentally, why are you wearing a blue bikini top under your blouse?!
I’m not, it’s a bra.
I don’t think I’ve never seen a bra that particular colour before!
Well you haven’t been lingerie shopping recently then, have you!