Jaguar changes test plans

Lotterer will drive at Lurcy Levis this week
Jaguar Racing has decided to postpone testing in Barcelona until later this week in favour of a straight-line programme in France, where it hopes to find a solution to the problem discovered with the R3's front wing.

The team will spend January 22-24 at Lurcy Levis, which is 30 minutes away from Magny-Cours. It had originally planned to run simultaneous tests in both France and Spain, but decided that it would be pointless to continue testing until the problem with the 2002 car's front wing was rectified.

"We decided to postpone our planned Barcelona test this week in an effort to better understand the problem we are experiencing on the front wing section of the Jaguar R3," said a team spokesman. "Instead, we are conducting a straight-line programme with last year's R2 and this year's R3."

Test driver Andre Lotterer will be behind the wheel of the car and regular drivers Eddie Irvine and Pedro de la Rosa will resume their testing duties when the team gets to the Circuit de Catalunya. That will now be on Friday, where the team will remain until the Monday January 28.

Although the front wing problem is a set back, the team remains confident that the R3's basic concept is sound and that it is a substantial improvement over last year's R2.

"Contrary to what some press reports are saying, we are not undertaking 'dramatic' revisions to the R3," the spokesman continued. "If anything, we started our testing programme on January 8 in the knowledge that the Jaguar R3 would undergo aero development until the first race in Melbourne. We are, therefore, expecting several new additions to the package and until we have run everything, there is little point in people jumping to conclusions about how competitive the R3 may or may not be.

"The team is methodically building towards its target of being fully prepared for Melbourne and so far, we haven't experienced anything unusual at this stage of a new car's development."

- Jaguar Racing/www.jaguar-racing.com