Webber gets lightweight Jaguar
Jaguar ace Mark Webber has been handed the team's lightweight R5b-06 chassis for this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix as the team bids to score the vital constructors' championship points that will keep it ahead of Toyota in the standings
Although the future of the Milton Keynes-based team remains in doubt as negotiations continue to find a buyer, the staff at the factory have been continuing to push forward with developments. Part of that work has included the fine-tuning of the R5b-06 chassis, which made its debut in the hands of Christian Klien at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Webber said: "The guys at the factory in Milton Keynes and the team up at Cosworth Racing in Northampton have all really pulled together over these last couple of weeks and I would like to reward them with points before the season ends. I will be racing this weekend in our new chassis, the R5b-06."
Jaguar's managing director David Pitchforth has joined Webber in praising the ongoing work at the team's factory amid the difficult circumstances - and is hopeful that although Klien did not score with the R5b-06 in China that Webber can do better this time out.
He said: "We went to China with our heads held high and although we scored no points, we clocked up a lot of miles in this time and the car was very reliable. We took the decision to have Christian race the R5b-06 in China and now it's Mark's turn. The team has been fine-tuning the car over the past month or so and we are really prepared going into these last two races."
The R5b-06 is a lighter and stiffer version of the chassis raced this season and was originally going to form the basis of the team's 2005 car - until proposed technical regulations scuppered those plans. It failed to shine in China, however, as Klien was consistently out-performance by Webber.
Jaguar currently lies just one point ahead of Toyota in the fight for seventh place in the constructors' championship.
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