Irvine backs Frentzen sacking

Irvine believes Jordan has learnt lessons from the past

Eddie Irvine has defended Formula One team boss Eddie Jordan for sacking Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

Jordan abruptly fired Frentzen on Wednesday, just days before he was due to compete in his home Formula One Grand Prix this weekend.

The action drew criticism from the Schumacher brothers, who were unusually supportive of their compatriot in a news conference on Thursday.

But Irvine believes Jordan's decision was influenced by problems he had while Damon Hill was a Jordan driver.

If you don't perform, and I assume they said he (Frentzen) wasn't performing, then ciao

  Eddie Irvine

Hill, the 1996 world champion with Williams, raced for Jordan in 1998 and 1999, Frentzen's first season with the team.

Hill's final year was marked by poor form and prolonged indecision about whether or not he should retire mid-season. He eventually stuck it out to the end of the year but his performances were poor.

"EJ (Jordan) had a season where Damon was underperforming, he was getting the wages of a Formula One driver but wasn't doing the job of a top Formula One driver for whatever reason," Irvine said on Friday.

"And EJ doesn't want that to happen again, I assume that's what he sees happening.

"If I were a team owner I wouldn't do that and pay someone to drive the car slowly.

"I'm not saying Frentzen was driving the car slowly but everyone's here because of what they can do, not because of what they did.

Hill and Jordan has problems

"I think people keep forgetting where EJ came from and where he has got to. He didn't get here by being a sucker," said Irvine.

"I think the Damon Hill experience burned him badly and I don't think he was prepared to have the same thing happen to him twice.

"Formula One is about doing the job and for doing the job you get paid lots of money. If you don't then go and lie on a boat. It's that simple.

"I think EJ did what he feels is best for him and everyone in the pit lane is doing what is best for them and nothing else. It wouldn't be Formula One if it wasn't like that."

"I don't know whether Heinz has been performing or not really but if you don't perform, and I assume they said he wasn't performing, then ciao."

Jordan insists his decision is not related to prior incident with Hill.

"This has got nothing to do with what happened to Damon," he said. "Heinz and I, his manager and ours, couldn't agree. We were both upset about performance," he said.