Jaguar praise Webber & Pizzonia

With the pre-season testing programme now well underway, the Jaguar Racing team and its new driver line up, Mark Webber and Antonio Pizzonia, are working flat out to make the R4 a competitive machine.

Although the new team members and new drivers have had little time to get to know one another since the New Year, the working relationship has flourished.

"I have to say that, of all the drivers I've ever worked with, Mark is the most professional of the lot," said Head of Vehicle Performance, Dr. Mark Gillan. "He's so positive, so systematic, so willing to work hard -- and his preparation levels are sky-high. Just fabulous. And Antonio -- who is younger than Mark, of course -- is also an extremely hard-working and co-operative guy. There are no egos with either of them; they just want to get on with it and do the job."

Tony Purnell, CEO of the Premier Performance Division, is another to have been highly impressed with the attitude of both new Jaguar Racing drivers.

"We've tried to ensure that our drivers are very much plugged into our new way of doing things from the start, and both Mark and Antonio are absolutely with the programme in that sense," said Purnell. "Mark, who is of course the more experienced of the two in F1 terms, is just so damned professional. He really is extremely impressive from that point of view. Antonio, meanwhile, is a very quick and talented guy -- and that, plain and simple, was the reason for our hiring him."

According to Purnell, both Mark and Antonio are on the right track, following the example set by the most successful Formula One driver of all time.

"I'm not into prima donnas. I've got no time for drivers trying to take control of everything -- tests, especially -- instead of being part of the team like everyone else. And I think both Mark and Antonio are very much aware of the tasks ahead of them, and will approach those tasks in an enthusiastic, co-operative and, above all, professional manner. And that's the right way, the only way; after all, however much of a megastar he might be, that's what Michael Schumacher does at Ferrari, even now, isn't it?"

-jaguar-

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