4 Reasons Why the Irish People Adore Formula One
Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland combined have a population of around seven million people. However, they are known worldwide for producing some of the most talented people in sports. Footballers like George Best and Roy Keane, Mixed Martial Arts superstar Conor McGregor, and female boxer Katie Taylor are just a few sporting household names.
Not only do they produce incredible athletes, but the Irish people seem to be obsessed with sports. They can also be found frequenting traditional bookmakers, or logged into an online casino hoping to make some extra cash with their knowledge.
Although Formula One is not the most popular sport in The Emerald Isle, (in fact, it’s not even in the top ten) doesn’t mean it is not loved. For years, the Irish have been heavily involved in the sport. Fans tune in week in, week out to watch the build-up, the qualifications, and the races.
Eddie Jordan
Eddie Jordan
Irish entrepreneur and television personality, Eddie Jordan has been involved in Formula One for many years. Although he raced himself in the 1970s, he became a big name in the racing world when he founded the Jordan Grand Prix team. This was an F1 constructor which operated from the early 1990s to the mid-2000s.
Formula One fanatics based in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland who watched the races and the buildup unfold live on the BBC would have been familiar with Eddie Jordan because he was the chief analyst for several years. He later joined Channel 4 and he was also involved in the world-famous motor show, Top Gear.
The 73-year-old is known by almost everyone in the Formula One world as an F1 guru. He knows the sport inside out and when he talks, people listen. He is also known to be a very successful businessman, and his current net worth is approximately $475 million.
He is very close with Michael Schumacher, arguably the world’s greatest ever Formula One driver. Jordan gave the German driver his Formula One debut, but due to contract issues, he lost the driver to Benetton. Jordan sold his team in 2005 and went on to invest in several other businesses.
Eddie Irvine
Eddie Irvine, Ferrari F399, 1999 Italian Grand Prix
Very few people that grow up in a small village in Northern Ireland would have believed that they could have become a big name in Formula One, but that’s just what Eddie Irvine did. He fell in love with the sport when he went on vacation to the UK, where he and his family attended the British Grand Prix. Although his father raced single-seaters, he never became a professional.
Irvine started his career at the age of 17 when he began racing in the Formula Ford Championship. He was very successful and quickly progressed to the F3 and Formula 3000 Championship. It was not surprising that Eddie Jordan signed Irvine in 1993 to join the Jordan Grand Prix. He later went on to represent the Ferrari team in 1996, and his best season was in 1999 when he came second in the World Drivers’ Championship, only two points behind Häkkinen. Once his time was up at Ferrari, he raced for Jaguar for three years before retiring from the sport in 2002.
However, not everyone in the sport was an Eddie Irvine fan. He was involved in controversial situations both on and off the race track. Especially during his early career, Irvine was known as a reckless driver. In the later stages, many believed he had learned from his mistakes and became a lot more professional. There had been plenty of rumours on the tabloids claiming the Northern Irish man was a playboy. Like many Irish sportspeople, he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind.
A Divided Country
For many years, there have been problems in Northern Ireland between Catholics and Protestants. However, many believe that sports are sometimes a way to unite both sides. People from both sides of the fence enjoy Formula One, and although Eddie Irvine grew up as a Catholic, many Protestants supported him. He followed Rangers Football Club, which was very strange for a Catholic growing up in Northern Ireland, as the Scottish side is known to be a Protestant club.
Although Irvine used his British passport, he had said that he felt more Irish than British. When the Irish flag was raised when he took to the podium in 1995, many people complained the race organizers had to raise the Union Jack instead, due to FIA’s International Sporting Regulations. These regulations stated that each driver had to represent their nationality on their passport.
Irvine wanted to unite all of his Irish supporters, regardless of their religion. He pleaded with the Formula One Association to allow the famous Irish song “Danny Boy” to be played instead of the Irish national or the British National Anthem when he was on the podium, however his request was declined. Many of the Irish people, both from the North of the border and the South recognized what Irvine was trying to do and respected him for that.
The Luck of the Irish
Photo by Yan Ming on Unsplash
Alongside the F1 drivers that enjoy a bet, a lot of the Irish population enjoy gambling now and again, so it is not surprising that so many love to bet on Formula One. There are lots of online bettings sites and traditional bookmakers that allow punters to put money on almost anything in the Formula One world, from qualifications to race days. Anything can happen, especially during a race day which makes gambling on the sport even more exciting.
One little mistake from a driver, or a small problem with the car’s engine can ruin a driver and his team’s day. There are lots of websites, programs on television, and streaming services like YouTube with lots of up to date information about Formula One, so avid gamblers can research the sport before placing a bet. Some Irish put a wager on a race just to get involved.
The gambling laws in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are very relaxed, so it’s not difficult for them to gamble whenever they like. Some of the online sites now allow people to gamble 24 hours a day!
