Webber edges closer to Jag deal

A close friend of the 25-year-old told the British press: "Mark feels very relaxed and it looks like the deal is all but tied up for next year. He's very confident of joining the team."

A Jaguar spokesman refused to confirm or deny that an announcement of a deal is imminent: "We have not yet confirmed our 2003 driver line up," he said.

Webber has impressed this season for Minardi, and did a good job in a one-off test for Jaguar at Barcelona last month. In Sunday's German GP he battled with the Toyotas and Eddie Irvine, the man he is likely to replace at Jaguar, before eventually retiring when his car lost hydraulic pressure.

Should Irvine lose his seat at Jaguar, his best option for 2003 appears to be Jordan. The team is expected to run the Ford-owned Cosworth engines - as used by Jaguar - next year, and the Ulsterman, who made his GP debut with Jordan in Japan 1993, would satisfy sponsor Benson and Hedges, which would like to see a Brit in one of the cars.