By steve
July 15 2003

This week jaguar head to Silverstone for the British GP. After collecting points in the last three races, with two top 6 finishes, Jaguar will again be hoping to get a good result. However, good results may be hard to achieve on a track that, some say, doesn’t suit the Jaguar. The track does suit both drivers, who have achieved strong results in F3000.

Team comments
David Pitchforth, Managing Director: "The team, in conjunction with Cosworth Racing and Pi Research, has been working hard in recent months to deliver on reliability, and our last few faces have reflected the results of this hard work. However, home races have a habit of throwing gremlins at you, so we are approaching the weekend with caution.
"Our three-day test in Barcelona last week allowed us to complete a healthy number of laps with no issues. Working with Michelin on tyres, we are keen to ensure that we have the right set-up for the Silverstone track and, with the varying speeds of corners, there is also always a challenge to find the correct balance. Both of the drivers know this circuit well and, although it is not their home race, they have spent as much time here as they have on their own circuits.
"We are constantly developing the car and, with six races still left on the calendar, we hope to bring some of these developments to the track. We tested at Silverstone in June, so we have been able to gather a good amount of data on the R4 already, and will be looking to make the most of this and Friday testing over the weekend.
"A home race always brings a certain amount of extra pressure, but we will be looking to make the most of the it and, of course, we would like to ensure that we are in a position to exploit our pace and reliability with yet more championship points and take our current sixth place in the constructor's championship to fifth,"

Mark Webber:"The last few weeks have been non-stop for us, what with back-to-back races and testing and now my second 'home' race, so things have been busy to say the least. The R4 is running well, though, and I am certainly pleased with the progress that we are making on its reliability.
"A few more points in the bag from Magny-Cours helps keep the motivation high and lets us know that we are taking steps in the right direction. My testing in Barcelona was productive and I suffered no issues with the car that, in turn, allowed us to generate a huge data bank. The tyres are working extremely well for us at the moment, but I know that Michelin, like us, will be hoping for good weather this weekend.
"Silverstone is a track that I enjoy, despite mixed results - I won there in 2000 with F3000 yet failed to finish last year, so of course I will be looking for a finish this year and anything else is a bonus. Beckets corner is great fun so, to be honest, I am keen to just enjoy the weekend and certainly it makes a nice change not to have to fly to get to this race. I am a local resident, too, so I would like to give the fans something to cheer about although, of course, being a local, I know that the weather is not always what you would hope for. Let's see what we can do and hope that the fact it is the team's home race does not count against us!"

Antonio Pizzonia: "When we talk about home grands prix, I think I can easily include Silverstone. Not only is it the home race for Jaguar, but this is the circuit where I feel most at home and have raced on more than any of the others on the grand prix calendar. I have been there for the past two years in F3000 and was on the podium in 2001. I also raced there in my F3 days when I was living in the UK. When I was in Formula Vauxhall Junior and Formula Renault, I visited the circuit regularly,
although this was usually for races on the shorter circuit.
"It is a challenging track for the car and driver, and to get the right set-up here is not that easy - you definitely need plenty of downforce. After the team's recent results, and the feedback we have from our last test at Silverstone and the one in Barcelona this week, we have to feel optimistic for the race. I have been feeling happier with the R4 and myself over the past few races, and I know the hard work put in by Cosworth Racing on the engine and Michelin on the tyres has also helped a great deal.
"I now hope I can translate this into points finishes as I was so close to doing this in the back-to-back races we have just had."