Gloomy Irvine beset by problems

Irvine may have a future in beach volleyball

Northern Ireland's Eddie Irvine is not expecting to make a successful start to the 2002 Formula One season.

The Jaguar driver, from Conlig in County Down, has been in a pessimistic mood following a series of problems in pre-season testing.

The former world number two picked up just six points in the 2001 campaign.

And the signs are the new season, which begins in Australia on Sunday, will be just as bleak.

The team's technical director Steve Nichols recently resigned and engineers have been trying to iron out some aerodynamic kinks in the new Jaguar R3.

'Bit of trepidation'

Irvine said the testing problems would make it difficult for the car to be competitive on the Albert Park circuit.

"It is going to make it tough. There is a bit of trepidation," said Irvine.

Asked which major problems had to be ironed out prior to Saturday's one-off qualifying session, Irvine said: "I do not think we can really iron out a lot.

"We tried as much as we could before we got here. We were working back at the factory to do stuff and how long it takes to sort the other problems out, I do not know."

Special memories

Irvine said the pre-season problems made it impossible to accurately assess expectation of Jaguar's performance this season.

While Irvine finished fourth in 1998 and second in 1999 with Ferrari, he dropped to 13th in 2000 and 12th in 2001, netting just four and six points respectively in the last two seasons.

Jaguar finished eighth in the constructors' championship last time.

Melbourne holds special memories for Irvine, as he won his first F1 Grand Prix there in 1999.

"It is a really great event, the best organised Grand Prix of the year. Obviously 1999 was fantastic for me," said Irvine who is in the final year of his Jaguar contract.

"We have not had a really great race since then and we are probably not going to have another great race this year."