Jaguar to Drop Pizzonia Unless He Improves

Jaguar Racing will replace rookie Antonio Pizzonia if he doesn't show substantial improvement, team officials revealed.

Brazilian Pizzonia, who debuted this season in Jaguar alongside rising star Mark Webber, has been struggling so far and in the first four races was not able to qualify higher than fifteenth on the grid, or finish a race higher than thirteenth.

"I don't think it is a great secret that Antonio's position is under review," Jaguar's communications director, Nav Sidhu, told the Guardian. "There are a lot of things about his performances so far this year that are causing us concern. The level of disparity between his performances and those of his teammate Mark Webber is alarming."

Sidhu said Pizzonia will undergo extensive testing to rack up experience prior to the Spanish Grand Prix next weekend. The team are currently testing at Mugello, in Italy, and Sidhu told the newspaper: "We are going to work through a structured programme with him. If he can climb the same hill as Webber has done then we're going to be happy with him."

Should Pizzonia be dropped from the team, the Guardian is naming test driver Alex Wurz as a possible replacement candidate, under an agreement with his current team, McLaren.