Schumacher Saddened by Irvine's Departure

World Champion Michael Schumacher has expressed his regret that Eddie Irvine had run out of options to race in Formula One in 2003 after Jordan confirmed he would not be driving for them this year.

Schumacher, Irvine's Ferrari teammate until the Ulsterman joined Jaguar in 2000, said it was "really a shame.

"When Eddie and I were together at Ferrari we got along very well and had a lot of fun, very likely because we are so different," he said during testing at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya. "I think it is not only me who will miss him, there will be a piece of glamour disappearing from Formula One."

Irvine was one of Formula One's true characters, described by Renault boss Flavio Briatore on Thursday as "an old- fashioned driver" who liked to party but also took his profession very seriously.

His likely departure now, barring any surprise comebacks like Nigel Mansell's at McLaren after he had retired, will strip the sport of one of its more colourful and controversial voices at a time when it needs excitement and passion.

In public, and in contrast to the new breed of young drivers, Irvine lived the glamour life. He had the yacht, the fast cars and always a beautiful woman or two on his arm in nightclubs the world over.

Other drivers, often the target of his barbed and antagonistic comments, may miss his loud mouth rather less than his fans - many of them Italians after he finished the surprise Championship runner-up with Ferrari in 1999.

37-year-old Northern Irishman Irvine was the oldest driver on the grid last year and was released by Jaguar at the end of his contract in October.

Playing a guessing game for much of the year, he assured reporters after the season-ending Japanese Grand Prix that he would be back but Jordan were his only hope and that seat depended on sponsorship.

Irvine, who scored all of Jaguar's points last year including third place at Monza, started out with Jordan in 1993 at Suzuka and it was fitting that the Japanese circuit may also have seen his last race. He came to blows with Brazilian Ayrton Senna in the pitlane after that memorable 1993 race, infuriating the World Champion by cheekily unlapping himself.

Irvine had offered to take a huge cut in the six-million-pound salary Jaguar Racing paid him each year, but an agreement could not be reached.

"It's a shame because I really would have enjoyed the rule changes, specifically single-lap qualifying," Irvine said.

Now that Irvine has been ruled out, Brazilian Felipe Massa is considered a frontrunner for the drive. Irvine, who won four races with Ferrari in 1999, still refused to rule out a return to the sport at some stage: "You never know what can happen," he said.