Australian GP: Jaguar technical preview

Jaguar's Mark Gillan and David Pitchforth look ahead to the Australian Grand Prix

Dr Mark Gillan - Head of Vehicle Performance:

"Melbourne is an exciting track for all the teams and we are no exception. It will be our first opportunity to have the cars driven in anger and is really the first time that we will be able to see where we stand versus the competition. The track is generally a high-down force track and with its many corners it can be quite hard on the brakes. Speeds around the track are not necessarily the highest on the calendar but there is a lot of braking and fast acceleration giving an average in the region of 218kph."

"The new engine-rule is going to make it a lot harder for the teams over the first few races as we come to terms with reliability. This will be key to us in the first few races and we will be looking to make the most of any opportunities that come our way. We have been working closely with both Cosworth Racing and Michelin and I am pleased to say that we are really pulling together as a team."

"With Mark and Christian behind the wheel, I am really looking forward to seeing the results of our hard work over the testing season. Our new driver Bjorn Wirdheim will also prove crucial during the Friday testing as he provides us with valuable data and feedback in preparation for the race weekend."

David Pitchforth - Managing Director:

"We have worked tirelessly over the winter season to ensure that we arrive in Melbourne as prepared as we can be. We have clocked up nearly 8000km in testing and every km has helped us understand more about our package and allowed our new driver Christian Klien time to get a real feel for the car and also for the team. I am very pleased that Bjorn Wirdheim has joined us in time for Friday testing in Melbourne. His feedback will be invaluable to our partners, Michelin and Cosworth Racing and us."

"We are looking to make improvements this year on track but we are under no illusions. The competition is as determined as ever and I know that we need to make continuous steps-forward if we are to see a difference by the end of the season. We achieved our target of "respectability" in 2003 and we are now looking to take this momentum onto the next level by ensuring the continuous development of the R5 over the course of eighteen races."

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