Former Formula One driver Eddie Irvine has been given a suspended six-month sentence following a nightclub brawl five years ago.

Irvine, 48, and Gabriele Moratti, the son of a former mayor of Milan, were both handed the same punishment on Thursday.

They were involved in a fight in the VIP area of a Milan club in December 2008 and subsequently sued each other.

The fight reportedly stemmed from a text message Irvine had sent Moratti’s ex-girlfriend.

Irvine raced for Formula One teams Jordan, Ferrari and Jaguar in a career spanning 1993-2002.