Brazilian GP Jaguar race notes

Eddie Irvine: "The future looks bright"

Jaguar drivers confident after strong showing in Sao Paulo

The Jaguar Racing team proved it has the pace to be a competitive force after a strong performance in Interlagos at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Although both cars eventually retired, Eddie Irvine was in sixth place - and heading for a potential podium position - before a spin ended his race on lap 21.

"I thought I was slower than I actually was and was pushing harder than I should have been when I lost the back end," said Eddie. "I didn't really have a clear picture of how competitive we are in a race situation before today, but I have to say I am impressed because I feel we can mix it at the top end.

"I feel sorry for the guys who have worked since Melbourne that it ended like it did, but performance-wise, the future looks bright after today."

Johnny Herbert retired with gearbox trouble from tenth place on lap 51, but he was also encouraged by the potential of the Jaguar R1. He said: "The handling of the car was very difficult, and being that far back was not easy, but I covered a lot of laps, which was encouraging.

"The engine issue seems less of a problem now, so we're moving the right way -- but we need to finish. We're still learning about the new car and Eddie has shown that it can be competitive, so we can look at that and say, 'We have a good solid base and we can make it better'."

The team's chief operating officer Paul Stewart said: "Despite the two retirements we have definitely made progress since Melbourne. Eddie proved that he can run on the pace and, give our fuel strategy, would have been poised for a podium place had he finished.

"It was pleasing for Johnny to have some solid running in the car. He drove well and it was a pity that he didn't make it to the end. I'd like to thank everyone from Jaguar Racing and Cosworth Racing for all their efforts over the weekend --we went through a lot of toil to ensure that we were in good shape for today's race."