Formula One: ‘Jet-set' Irvine on the up

Jackie Stewart believes Eddie Irvine has been stung into upping his performances by criticisms of his jet-set lifestyle.

Stewart, who signed Irvine on his £18m deal, saw him score Jaguar Racing’s maiden podium with third place in yesterday’s Monaco Grand Prix.

Britain’s three-time former world champion hailed Irvine’s cool display but reckons the fierce criticism the Ulsterman has faced in recent weeks played a part.

The 35-year-old has been accused of cruising to collect by former racer John Watson, while it has been claimed people within Jaguar were unhappy at his commitment to the cause.

The promotion of test driver Pedro de la Rosa last month after Luciano Burti was offloaded to Prost was also seen as a wake-up call to Irvine by the management of the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

‘‘A lot of people were being critical of Eddie, not only in the media but also inside the team,’’ said Stewart, no longer involved in the running of Jaguar after selling the team he founded with son Paul to car giants Ford who re-named it after the big cat.

‘‘It must have had an effect on him. Being a racing driver is very much more than turning the wheel. It got to him that many people were making these statements.

‘‘I think every now and again we all need a jig to say ‘are you sure you are doing this the right way?’

‘‘Eddie is different to a lot of drivers, but if he continues to perform the way he has this weekend then no one is going to give him criticism.

‘‘He was very mature, and I think he drove really well all weekend. He practised well, qualified well and raced well. He did not make any mistakes.’’

Jaguar’s new chief, Bobby Rahal, has also backed Irvine who is in the middle of his multi-million-pound three-year deal.

‘‘He is committed to the team and trying to make it successful I do not doubt that for the moment.

‘‘I think many of his criticisms of the team have been on target. Is Eddie giving us 100%? Only he can answer that, but I tend to think he is.

‘‘With him and Pedro we have got two drivers who have proved they can run competitively, and we are all going to push to make the team better for us - and for him.’’

But both Rahal and Stewart, who is still involved with several of the team’s major sponsors, believe Jaguar still have a long-way to go before they can challenge the likes of Ferrari and McLaren.

Jaguar’s heavily-hyped arrival in Formula One last year fell flat as they managed just four points, while Irvine’s third place behind the Ferrari’s of Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello in Monte Carlo were their first points of this campaign.

‘‘People must not now expect too much too soon,’’ added Stewart.

‘‘It’s a great result to finish third. The problem is people will expect that to happen at every grand prix. The reality is that the team still have a long way to go.’’

Rahal, who believes the arrival of a new aerodynamic package was a major factor in the improved result, said: ‘‘This was a real morale-booster for the team.

‘‘We have faced many critics in the past few weeks, and I hope that the result shows that we are making progress.

‘‘But the magnitude of the task ahead of us cannot be overstated. The challenge now is to turn this maiden pole into consistency. Jaguar Racing is not here to make up the numbers, and our long-terms goal is to win the world championship.

‘‘That takes time, resources, stability and consistency. Taking third place alongside the Ferraris at Monaco is one small step in a very long road ahead of us.

‘‘This has been a long time coming, I guess. I’m very proud of the team; they did a super job. I hope it’s the start of more good things.

‘‘I anticipate more changes to the car as the season progresses. This result is going to whet our appetite, for sure.’’