From
the Sunday Times July 4th
Jaguar
takes leap into Grand Prix.....
by
Andrew Lorenz
THE
big cat is poised to leap into the world of grand prix. Jaguar is
preparing
to compete in Formula One for the first time in its 77-year
history,
spearheading the battle by Ford, its parent company, for supremacy
among
global car manufacturers.
The
vehicle for Jaguar's F1 debut will be Stewart Grand Prix Racing, the
team
founded in 1996 by the former world champion Jackie Stewart and his
son
Paul, which was bought by Ford a month ago for more than £60m.
Under
plans being considered by Ford, the team would be relaunched with the
Jaguar
name to highlight the marque's qualities of sportiness and style.
Experts
believe the team's experience will allow Jaguar to enter F1 at the
highest
level.
"It's
mighty good news as far as I'm concerned," said Murray Walker, the F1
commentator,
last week. "There has been a rumour about this in Formula One
and
if it happens it will be great to see a historic racing brand like
Jaguar
in grand prix."
The
move is part of a seismic shift in F1 racing with mainstream
manufacturers
stepping in to replace the tobacco sponsors that will be
forced
out by new legislation over the next few years.
Mercedes
already powers the McLaren team and Ferrari is owned by Fiat. Next
year
BMW will start a partnership with Williams; Jaguar is in danger of
being
left on the verge if it does not join the fray.
The
big cat has a proud heritage in motor racing, having won the Le Mans
24-hour
race seven times since 1951. Martin Brundle, who drove a Jaguar to
victory
at Le Mans in 1990, said he would welcome the entry of Jaguar into
F1.
"I
have won a lot of races with Jaguar and it would be nice to see them
going
head to head with the likes of Mercedes and BMW in Formula One," he
said.
"They have a great Le Mans tradition but Formula One gets ever bigger
and
you can see why they would want to break into it."
For
Wolfgang Reitzle, Jaguar's chairman, the potential is clear: the
company
could gain an edge on its rivals by establishing itself as the
premier
upmarket sports brand.
He
believes a racier image will boost Jaguar. Smaller models - such as the
S-type
and the forthcoming X400 baby Jaguar - are intended to attract a
different
type of customer from its traditional market of affluent
fiftysomething
business executives. It is hoping to quadruple sales by 2002.
Ford
is also keen to promote Jaguar in America. Bernie Ecclestone, the
power
behind F1, plans to stage the first grand prix there for nine years.
Last
week Jaguar was coy about details, but Reitzle said: "We will add some
excitement
around our core products. We are all agreed on adding elements -
both
products and activities - that must be convincing bridges to the
sporty
core of the brand."
Analysts
believe the new products are likely to include a two-seater sports
car,
heir to the legendary E-type. An F1 entry would be an equally
evocative
and high-profile move.
For
the plan to succeed, experts believe it will be insufficient for Ford
simply
to stick the Jaguar name on the Stewart cars. "This would have to be
run
by Jaguar, it would have to be a 100% Jaguar project," said one expert.
One
issue is the livery that a Jaguar team would use. The company's "home"
colour
is British racing green but that may cause problems because it might
not
provide clear visibility for sponsors' names.
Whatever
colours and designs are chosen, one thing is certain: entering
Formula
One will cost a fortune. The average cost of running a team is £50m
a
year.
"Really
it's only by doing this sort of thing that a Formula One team can
flourish,
because you need massive amounts of money now," said Walker. "As
the
tobacco sponsorship is frozen out it would be good for Formula One if
manufacturers
came in, because they have the facilities - and the money."
Additional
reporting: Tom Robbins