Tuesday February 1st, 2000

Eddie Irvine received a £25,000 motorbike - a limited edition Gold Series MV Agusta F4 - from Claudio Castiglioni, MV Agusta president, in recognition of his performance in the Formula One Drivers' Championship last year.

Castiglioni, a self-confessed racing fanatic, said the F4 was also given to mark Irvine's exceptional contribution to motorsport. There are only 19 other 750cc, 175mph hand-built machines in the UK.

Irvine isn't the first Formula One driver to ride an MV Agusta. John Surtees, the 1964 Formula One World Champion, won seven world motorcycle championships between 1956 and 1960 on an MV Agusta.