Retired F1 driver Eddie Irvine has been sentenced to six months in prison by an Italian court after a brawl with a man in a Milan nightclub.

It is not yet clear if Eddie Irvine, who is from North Ireland, will actually have to serve time in jail.

Eddie Irvine and Gabriele Moratti, the son of a former Milan mayor, were found guilty of “mutual injury”.

They had blamed each other for the dispute that took place in the VIP section of the club in December 2008.

Eddie Irvine has been sentenced to six months in prison by an Italian court after a brawl with a man in a Milan nightclub

Both Eddie Irvine, 48, and Gabriele Moratti had accused the other of using a glass during the brawl in Milan’s Hollywood nightclub.

The Reuters news agency reported Gabriele Moratti’s lawyer, Vincenzo Saponara, as saying the sentence was likely to be suspended and that neither man would go to jail.

Vicenzo Saponara denied Italian media reports the two had fought over a woman.

The lawyer said: “Obviously it’s easy for newspapers to say they fought because of jealousy over a woman, that they were two men who were rivals for her.

“It’s a nice story. But in reality that’s not the case.”

Eddie Irvine drove for Jordan, Ferrari and Jaguar over a nine-year career in motor racing’s most prestigious sport.