When Ferrari, albeit reluctantly, put its weight behind Eddie Irvine in Formula 1's 1999 title hunt, it did so against all convention. Sure, it was a necessity after Michael Schumacher's leg-breaking shunt at the British Grand Prix, but for the first time in his F1 career Irvine was already in the hunt on merit.
Before the 1999 season had begun, Irvine had not won an F1 race. He was firmly Schumacher's expendable tail-gunner, managing a smattering of podiums as the German scooped all the plaudits. But it was arguably a job that belied Irvine's rebellious nature and uncompromising racing style. Why would he accept a supporting role so willingly?
