LONDON, July 6: Formula One driver Eddie Irvine said Saturday that when then Ferrari team-mate Michael Schumacher broke his leg in a crash at the 1999 British Grand Prix was the happiest moment of his life.

The ever controversial Ulsterman, who at 36 is the oldest driver on the circuit, claimed his reaction would have been replicated by any other driver as it opened the way for him to challenge for the title with the four-time champion out of the way.

“Michael Schumacher claims the Silverstone crash which broke his leg still haunts him... for me it was the happiest moment of my career,” he told the Sun.

“Once the team had told me he was okay I remember sitting in the car trying to contain my joy at his misfortune because it meant I would be able to challenge for the world crown (he went on to finish runner-up to Mika Hakkinen),” he added.

Irvine, who is now with the struggling Jaguar outfit, even claimed that Schumacher had only himself to blame for the crash.

“There’s little doubt that had Michael not had his crash he would have won the title that year - but he only has himself to blame.

“Everybody thinks that brake failure was responsible for the incident but I would like to put the record straight and record how the scenario really unfolded.

“I was really energised for the race because the car was doing great but I was also really hacked off with Michael.

“He had been quoted as saying that I had only helped him a couple of times when the truth was that I had moved over for him several times without the team even asking me.

“I felt his comments were ungracious so when I flew past him at the start I decided to brake so late going into the corner that there would be no way he could come by me without sliding wide.

“He braked, locked up, came off the brakes and then tried to sweep by me.

“But then he had to brake again when he realised he wasn’t going to make it and that’s when a nipple in the brakes snapped and sent him straight into the tyre wall.”—AFP