Jaguar R2 launch: ‘Respectability is our aim’
Jaguar Racing has unveiled its new challenger, designated the R2, for the 2001 Formula 1 World Championship at its design and engineering centre at Whitley, near Coventry
The Big Cat suffered a dismal debut season last year, scoring just four points after parent company Ford took over and re-branded the Stewart GP outfit. More sweeping changes have seen erstwhile CART boss Bobby Rahal take the helm of the squad and veteran designer Steve Nichols drafted in to head up the design team.
Rahal, who was appointed as team principle last month, is confident that the team is now heading in the right direction and that drivers Eddie Irvine and promoted test driver Luciano Burti will get the chance to improve on its lowly ninth-place finish in the constructors' championship in 2000.
"We have experienced a challenging first year in the sport but implemented changes that we feel are necessary to deliver our objectives," said Rahal. "Our aim this year is to achieve respectability and continue to put in place the building blocks that we believe will deliver success in the long term. We are unswerving in our ultimate goal which remains to challenge for World Championship honours."
The R2 is designed by former Williams designer John Russell, who was responsible for the 1997 BTCC-winning Renault Laguna and the BMW LMR-V12 which won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1999. Nichols will lead the development programme for the car but, along with new aerodynamics recruit Mark Handford, will also concentrate on the design of next year's R3.
Rahal announced that global communications giant AT&T will join the team as a major sponsor, and that Jaguar has taken over the Stewart Racing Formula 3 team. British Formula Ford champion James Courtney and German F3 star Andre Lotterer will drive for the squad, now called Jaguar Racing F3, which will act as an 'academy of talent' for the F1 team.
The R2 is scheduled to have its first test run at Silverstone tomorrow.
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