Jaguar Rule Out Releasing Webber Early

Australian driver Mark Webber will see out the Formula One season with Jaguar and could yet be persuaded to stay for another year, according to managing director David Pitchforth.

Webber is being wooed by Williams but Pitchforth told Reuters on Thursday that he was working up a 'sales pitch' to try to convince the 27-year-old that he could go places with the Ford-owned team.

"Basically, Mark is not going to leave before the end of the season," he said, dampening media speculation about an immediate move to Williams as a replacement for injured German Ralf Schumacher.

Webber's future is central to the driver market, with Williams confirming that he is top of their list as they look for replacements for departing Ralf and Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya.

Big budget Toyota have also been sounding him out while Renault, run by Webber's manager Flavio Briatore, have also been mooted as an option. Commentators have suggested that underperforming Williams might offer Jaguar a deal for Webber to join early.

Enough Money

Pitchforth, who addressed the workforce at the team's Milton Keynes factory in a regular briefing on Wednesday with Webber present to reinforce his commitment, rejected that.

"There is not enough money that would make me release Mark before the end of the season," he said. "I've got more than enough money this year to run the team well...I don't need more funds this year. There's no reason why I would enter into any agreement."

Pitchforth said that as part of a large multi-national company he had a fixed budget, and would return funds to the parent company if he had more money than needed.

The future was more of a concern and Pitchforth recognised that he would need Ford's help, by committing to a level of funding, before he could present a strong case to Webber.

"I haven't done my sales pitch to Mark Webber yet," he said. "I need to get it all in place first...but I need to do that and make it to him before he's been wooed and made any decision to go anywhere else.

"To get Mark Webber to stay now I have to present him with a case that shows him we've got the funding and the plans to take the team forward."

Pitchforth said Webber had assured him that he had not yet put pen to paper with any rival team, even if he recognised talks had clearly started.

The Australian is under contract to Jaguar for next season, subject to performance clauses on both sides. The team are currently ninth out of 10, with Webber scoring all their four points.

"If the team is not performing at the right level, he can look to moving on," said Pitchforth. "If we had been higher up in the championship, I'd have been in a position where I could have made him stay. But we're not in that position."