European Formula 3000
On November 8th 1988 a Formula 3000 test took place, two days before his 23rd birthday. Established Marlboro/Onyx driver Volker Weidler set a base time in his March 88B, and then Emanuele Naspetti (the new Italian F3 champion), Erik Comas (winner of the French title) and Eddie each had a tilt at it. Fastest of the four, albeit by fractions, was Eddie - despite going last, when the brakes and gearbox were all but worn out. Typically, he was totally unfazed by the experience when asked for his first impressions:
"The only thing I found difficult was braking for the slow corners, and getting the car stopped. The fact that I was last out could have something to do with that. Overall though, the car inspires more confidence than an F3 car because it is softer and transmit more feel of what it is doing".
Eddie impressed at the test, and if he went to Macau and went well, he was going to get the drive.
At Macau F3 qualifying session Eddie stuck the car on pole. A look at the grid shows the scale of Eddie's achievement. Lined up right behind him were Joachim Winklehock (the German F3 champion), Jean Alesi (stepping in from F3000) and JJ Lehto. Further Back could be found interesting names such as Coloni F1 man Gabriele Tarquini, Damon Hill, Bertrand Gachot, 1987 Macau winner Martin Donnelly, Gianni Morbidelli, Karl Wendlinger, F1 veterans Stefan Johansson and Jan Lammers, and Comas. Eddie and JJ's rivalry was as evident as ever when the first of the two heats got under away.
On the start there was an accident. The race was stopped and restarted. This time Eddie was under no threat.
"We were 26th fastest on the straight or something, so I knew I had to get into the first corner first or I wouldn't be able to overtake anybody. I was leading, Alesi was on the outside and Rydell on the inside. And he touched my rear wheel and spun me into the armco. End of story".
With many of the other front-runners, including Alesi, also having problems victory went to the unfancied Enrico Bertaggia, ahead of a reliable Hill. Eddie at least set fastest lap, and consoled himself in the buzzing Macau nightclubs where the drivers could let their hair down. In retrospect, Bennetts says Irvine compared favourably with other star names he's handled in F3.
"Obviously the guys who won the championship were good. Ayrton and Mika Hakkinen I'd still have to say were the two most rawly talented guys. Rubens Barrichello was very good in qualifiying, but by then we'd had the Honda engine for three years and everything was in good shape. To be honest, I never dreamt Eddie making it in F1, because in those days he didn't have the attitude that he wanted to get into F1. All he wanted to do was make money. A bit like Eddie Jordan!"
The Macau performance was more than enough to convince Philip Morris that Irvine deserved to graduate. With Onyx stopping its F3000 programme to enter F1, Marlboro favourites Pacific Racing plugged the gap by stepping straight up from its successful first year in British F3 to running two F3000 Reynards. Eddie and Lehto were now team-mates.
The 1989 FIA Formula 3000 season kicked off with the International Trophy at Silverstone in April, and among the many friends who'd come to watch Eddie's debut was Clifton Hughes, his Irish FF1600 mentor.
"Here was this car immaculately prepared, all done out in Marlboro colours," recalls Hughes. "There were three guys working on the Mugen engine and about four working on the car, dressed up in red and white. We sat on the pit wall watching and I said, "Eddie, this is what we dreamed about when we were at Kirkistown". He looked over at me and said, "I did'nt even dream about this".
Eddie sitting in his Jordan F3000 car with team boss Eddie Jordan