Jaguar looks for experience

Webber announced at the end of last month that he was off to Williams in 2005. It came as no real surprise to the F1 community, who had predicted the Aussie's exit from the Big Cat for some time.

Now the team must replace Webber, who it rated extremely highly and whose contribution to the team was viewed as instrumental to its recent progress. Ford's Premier Performance Division boss Tony Purnell, who has overall responsibility for Jaguar Racing, is keen to opt for experience in order to accumulate points and thus keep Ford interested in the project, despite the team having lost primary sponsor HSBC.

Purnell denies the loss of HSBC has come as a big blow to the team, but he declined to confirm beyond doubt that Jaguar would be on the grid in 2005.

"I've got a degree of optimism," he told this week's Autosport magazine. "What I don't want to do is struggle on thinking, 'God, we're underfunded.' I want to set up something for next year that is more positive for the team.

"Announcing some drivers would be positive. I always knew there would be tons of speculation about Jaguar and to come out with 'these are our drivers for next year' would be quite a way to hit back at that."

A team source added: "What is a podium worth to Jaguar at the moment? Probably the future of the team in Ford's mind. We've got probably another 18-month window before Ford take a really hard look at the whole thing."

If experience is what it wants, McLaren's David Coulthard and test driver Alex Wurz are in a prime position to secure a seat, as is Jordan's Nick Heidfeld. BAR test driver Anthony Davidson though has also been linked to a drive and existing incumbent Christian Klien may also get another season given his Red Bull backing.