Irvine boost his appeal

EDDIE IRVINE enhanced his chances of landing a drive next season as he grabbed an unexpected third place behind the rampant Ferraris at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza yesterday.

The Ulsterman, 36, finished well-adrift in his Jaguar as Rubens Barrichello led home world champion Michael Schumacher to spark extraordinary scenes of celebration.

But the cheers from the tifosi, the Ferrari faithful who turned the home straight into a sea of red, were just as loud for former driver Irvine as they were for the all-conquering duo.