Jaguar reveals new tech structure

The new-look team will be headed by the former project manager for the current R3C test car and the 2003 R4, David Pitchforth. Steiner has worked with Premier Performance Division boss Tony Purnell on the new structure and could retain an unspecified position at Jaguar.

Team spokesman Nav Sidhu said: "We must stress that Guenther has done nothing wrong. The organisation is significantly stronger now than when he joined."

But the restructure has been deemed vital, following the wholesale review of the team commissioned by parent company Ford earlier in the year. A total of 72 redundancies have been made at Jaguar this week, with aerodynamcist Mark Handford among those to have lost their jobs.

Pitchforth has been positioned at the top of a design and engineering structure that does not include a technical director. An engineering director has been signed to report to Pitchforth, but has yet to be named. He will join the company in three month's time, which suggests he is currently working for a rival team.

Four departments will report to the managing director and engineering director. Those departments are aerodynamics (headed by Ben Agathangelou), vehicle science, car design (headed by Rob Taylor) and vehicle performance (headed by Mark Gillan). The new vehicle science and position has yet to be filled.

Working alongside this structure will be a new chief engineer, former British American Racing tech boss Malcolm Oastler, who will join the team full-time from January 1. He has been working at the team in a consultancy capacity for the past few months.

Sidhu denied that the new structure is too late to influence the design and development of the new R4 car. He added that a specific aim in terms of results this season has not been set. "We need visible clear signs of improvement," he said. "We certainly cannot go to Melbourne and qualify last. We simply cannot waste another season."