Webber Re-Signs with Jaguar Through to 2005

Jaguar Racing today confirmed that Australian driver Mark Webber has extended his current contract with the team for a further two years â€" taking the partnership through to the end of the 2005 season.

"I hope that, by making this announcement so early in the season, people will realise just how serious both our intentions are to firmly establish Jaguar's place in Formula One," said Webber.

"We know it's not going to happen overnight, so I'm very happy that we've made this commitment now and can continue the hard work we've already started this year. For me personally and as a driver, I'm very excited by the prospect of being involved in what is a long-term objective, and to see our goals being realised as we make further progress over the next two years," Webber added.

The Queanbeyan-born driver, in his second year of Formula One after one season at struggling Minardi, has impressed in his first five races for Jaguar by qualifying twice in the top five and by taking the team's first points of the season with his seventh place at last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix.

"Mark is an outstanding talent and everyone at Jaguar Racing is naturally delighted that the partnership will extend to the end of the 2005 season," said David Pitchforth, Managing Director of the Milton-Keynes based team.

"Mark's start to the season has been very impressive and his approach to racing is very professional â€" both inside and outside the cockpit - and we see Mark as an integral part of our long-term development. His natural abundance of skill and commitment provide a considerable impetus for the team to continue strengthening at all levels of the business and in the process, take our challenge to teams further up the grid," Pitchforth further commented.