Formula 1
French GP: Jaguar race notes
Mark Webber delivered a further three championship points for Jaguar Racing today in the French Grand Prix by finishing in 6th place and in the process, leapfrogging both Sauber and Jordan-Ford in the Constructor's Championship to 6th place. Antonio ...
Published: Jul 6, 2003, 11:08 PM
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Mark Webber delivered a further three championship points for Jaguar Racing today in the French Grand Prix by finishing in 6th place and in the process, leapfrogging both Sauber and Jordan-Ford in the Constructor's Championship to 6th place. Antonio Pizzonia was unlucky not to have also scored points and in the end crossed the finishing line in 10th place.
Both Jaguar drivers opted for a three-stop strategy and because several runners opted for a two-stop strategy, Antonio's point's challenge was ended by traffic after his second stop. Nonetheless, Jaguar Racing has now scored points for the 3rd consecutive race and with only one point separating them from 5th placed BAR-Honda, the team looks forward to challenging for more honours at their home race at Silverstone in two weeks. Before that, however, the team will undertake a three-day preparation test at Barcelona next week.
Dr Mark Gillan - Head of Vehicle Performance:
"Yet another very pleasing result and one which has taken us into 6th place in the Constructor's Championship. The reliability and pace of the Jaguar R4 is now competitive to the extent that Mark was holding his own out there with the front-runners. We have scored points in the last three races and we go to Silverstone in search of more. Both cars made good starts and we decided to adopt a three-stop strategy for both drivers."
"In Mark's case, this worked perfectly but Antonio was unlucky in that we had trouble with the rear jack that cost us a couple of seconds. Having made his second stop, Antonio was then unlucky to join the race behind the Toyota of Da Matta who was on a two-stop strategy and this cost Antonio a lot of time and subsequently reduced his chances of a points challenge today. Mark again drove a determined and excellent race and we go to Barcelona this week to capitalise further on the strengths of the R4 package."
"Cosworth, Michelin, Pi Research and everyone back at the Milton Keynes factory thoroughly deserve the points but we are far from finished. With six races left to go, there are still an awful lot of points to play for and given our pace and reliability on Michelin rubber, we expect to challenge right up to the chequered flag in Suzuka."
Mark Webber:
"We had a good car today and it performed very well indeed. I was actually catching the Renaults but ran out of fuel in the last sector en route to my first pit stop. We put some extra fuel into the car and after that, I pushed very hard indeed. We are still learning and developing the package but three points is great news for the team and its partners."
"The boys again did an excellent job today during the pit stops and Michelin have again stamped their superiority on the tyre-war with Bridgestone. This is now the third race in succession that we have scored points and to have jumped into 6th place in the Constructor's Championship is fantastic, albeit we know there is still so much to play for and given how many teams are working on package upgrades, we will keep pushing hard right till the bitter end."
Antonio Pizzonia:
"The car was very good today but unfortunately my challenge for points was ended by the two-stop strategy of others. We knew going into the race that there was always a risk of being caught in the traffic of those teams on a different strategy and that's exactly what happened to me. My first pit-stop was fine but after my second one, I got stuck behind Da Matta who was two stopping. This cost me so much time and in the end, the front eight just peeled away and the gap became too big to close."
"Disappointing given how well we have performed here this weekend and combined with the Michelin rubber and Cosworth power, it was shame to have not maximised and shared some points with Mark. There is always an element of risk involved with race strategies and I was unlucky to have been on the receiving end of the downside today. On a positive note, the competitiveness and pace of the Jaguar R4 is now up there. The balance of the car is very good and there are still six races left to exploit this and earn some points for the team and myself."
Mark Webber
Position: 6th
Best time: 1:17.068
Chassis: R4-04
T-Car: R4-03
Antonio Pizzonia
Position: 10th
Best time: 1:17.416
Chassis: R4-05
-jaguar-
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