After an unfortunate diclosure of the negociations with team Jordan, the 37 year old Irishman Eddie Irvine announced last week that he will not be participating of the 2003 F1 season.

Eddie Irvine’s debut on F1 was 10 years ago with Jordan, he also competed for Scuderia Ferrari and Jaguar and since 1993 has been collecting many friends and enemies in the F1 challenging world.

One of these friends is Luciano Burti, today’s Scuderia Ferrari’s test driver who also was Irvine’s team-mate at Jaguar in 2001.

"Eddie’s absence will be a great loss because he is a great driver and a even larger personality in F1. He is a different driver, who says what he thinks and after you get to know him better you see that he is a great person", said Burti about Irvine leaving F1.

"I will always remember three important moments. Irvine’s victory in Austria in 1999 and his podium finishes, driving a Jaguar in 2001 in Monaco and in 2002 Monza", concluded the Brazilian.