Irvine Considers CART Career

Jaguar driver Eddie Irvine has revealed that he intends to stay in Formula One for a couple more seasons and might turn his attention to running a CART team in the U.S. when he finally calls it a day.

"I don't see me finishing in 2002 unless I'm not quick enough," he said. "I'm only 35 now, in 2002 I'll be 36 so there's at least three years left to be honest. Obviously if you're not producing the goods, you're out, end of story. And I wouldn't want to be a burden on anyone."

The former Jordan and Ferrari driver is well known for his careful investments and business acumen. He said that he intended to keep the money coming in through his property interests after he had quit racing.

"After motor racing, for making money property is the game," he said when asked if he intended to follow Jacques Villeneuve and David Coulthard into opening his own restaurant or hotel. "Restaurants and pubs are great fun but the serious money is made in property so I'll do that to keep the airplane flying and the boat going and then the Indy car team to amuse my competitive streak."

Jaguar team principal Bobby Rahal is a triple CART champion who also runs his own successful team in America and Irvine confessed he would be interested in looking over the Atlantic.

"I might look at doing that...I definitely won't be driving there. But I sort of looked at it," he said of CART. "I love motor racing, I'd love to continue it in some way. I really enjoy it and I much prefer the decision-making processes to being told what to do.

"I'm very much my own boss and I don't like people telling me what to do. So being the boss of a team is probably ideal for me."