Grapevine: Stewart Hints at Rahal Disposal

Three-time World Champion Jackie Stewart has given heavy hints that Jaguar boss Bobby Rahal is about to lose his job at the British team next week. Rahal was brought in to turn the team's fortunes around last year, but with just five points on their tally this season, his efforts appear to have failed.

"There has been some discomfort for some time and obviously the team are disappointed by the performance," admitted Stewart, who is still involved with Jaguar after selling his Stewart team to Ford back in 1999.

Although he said that there had been no board discussions on the matter, Stewart suggested that the morale at Jaguar is low and that something must be done to change their flagging fortunes. American Rahal will meet Jaguar boss Wolfgang Reitzle in London on Thursday and it is expected that he will lose his job.

Stewart said that the problems within the team have been brewing for some time and are not simply down to Rahal's mistake in offering Eddie Irvine to Jordan without consulting the team following Heinz-Harald Frentzen's exit from the Silverstone-based team.

"I don't think that was the final straw," Stewart said. "But there is clearly a lot of chat at the present time."