Watch out CART and Nascar fans... Formula One is not just the most technologically advanced series in the world, it is also getting pretty exciting this year something that anyone who watched the British GP at Silverstone can attest. Yes Ferrari won, yes they scored their 4th 1- 2 of the year but what a race it was. Even if it can be argued that Williams BMW & McLaren Mercedes, lost it more than Ferrari really won it, so much for calling Formula One a high tech procession... These guys can turn left *and* right, in the rain too and pass each others...

Dela Rosa in action at Silverstone in the still disappointing R3B. Picture Jaguar Racing

The historic Silverstone circuit, north of London, is the home track of F1 with many teams based in the region; it is also its birth place with the very first post war race held on the former WW2 airfield in 1950. In the past few years it has also become one of the most dramatic races on the calendar partly because of the famous Silverstone weather...

And weather was a big factor this year with the race starting in the dry but turning quickly wet... very wet... then dry again. Strategy became critical and that's where McLaren Mercedes blew it in a totally embarrassing fashion. First when local boy David Coulthard deciding to stay out on dry weather tires hoping the shower would stop while all others went to intermediate weather tires. Add to this a pit stop blunder where a tire got lost on the way to one of the cars, problems with the refueling rig and a blown engine for Kimi Raikonen and a next to last place, two lap down finish for Coulthard... The only bright image coming out of the McLaren garage were visions of Couthard's glamorous blonde girlfriend watching on... Maybe she could have called the strategy better than Ron Dennis did...

In the other German powered British team, Williams - BMW, the situation was hardly better with pole sitter Juan Montoya unable to match the pace of the Ferraris once things got wet, partly because of the tires difference between the Michelin (Williams) and the Bridgestones (Ferrari). He didn't go down without a fight though and his battles with both Ferraris, first for the lead then for 2nd was highly entertaining... Teammate Ralph Schumacher, who started alongside brother Michael on the second row, ended up his day in 8th place also after suffering from a refueling rig failure.

In the Ferrari camp, the mood was somber on the grid after Michael saw pole position go to Montoya for the 4th race in a row. Last minute changes to the car's suspension seemed to be of concern to the championship leader, probably reminding him of a similar weather setup gamble which didn't pay in his previous visit to Silverstone. Then Barrichello's car stalled on the formation lap and even though the crew was able to restart the car that meant the Brazilian would be sent to the back of the grid for the start. Hardly the best way to start a race unless of course you are driving the best car on the grid; sure enough after only 19 laps, the Ferrari superiority combined with a great drive brought the second prancing horse to 2nd place, setting up Scuderia Ferrari for the perfect 1 - 2 finish.

Battles raged through out the field during the entire race and while Silverstone is not a "passing" track, it was one the most entertaining race of the year. Worth noting is BAR Honda finally making it into the point, for the first year this season, with former World Champion Jacques Villeneuve leading his team mate into a 4 - 5 finish.

Eddie Irvine reflecting on his future. Picture Jaguar Racing

What about Jaguar ? well, if this wasn't the Jaguar Clubs of North America's website, we'd be better off not even mentioning the big cats today... Both qualified near the end of the grid, 19th and 21st, and only de la Rosa was able to see the checker, dead last and 2 laps down. Hardly surprising considering the season Jaguar endured so far but very disappointing as the team was debuting its new long awaited aerodynamic package developped in the new state of the art wind tunnel... Before the revised R3 tested on the track in Spain a week ago, Eddie Irvine said if performance was still lacking, he'd go home to Milan and get drunk...

At 36 years old, there is now little doubt that the F1's veteran will not renew his contract with Jaguar next year... Possible replacement alongside spaniard Pedro dela Rosa could be young British star Jenson Button (whose seat at Renault is said to be in question ) or Australian rookie Mark Webber who's been impressive so far despite driving the low budget, under developped and under powered Minardi.

Jaguar Racing will try to come to grip with its new car during testing at Monza this week.

Luckily for Jaguar Racing boss Niki Lauda, the R3B wasn't in the spotlight at Silverstone even though he did (litterally) hold the keys to the media's attention. On Thursday while a legal battle raged in London between Arrows' Tom Walkinshaw and some of his investors, the other Cosworth powered cars participation was very much in doubt as they were absent from the circuit. After being granted an extension and finally passing FIA scruteneering on Friday morning, the Arrows were prevented from running in the practice sessions by Lauda who, wearing his Cosworth boss hat, demanded that Walkinshaw settled his past due engine bill ( close to 5 million dollars ). After lenghty negociations, the matter was resolved in time for the Arrows to outqualify both Jaguars, powered by the same engine... and a far larger budget. Ironically, in the race, Heinz Harald Frentzen had his Arrow running in the points before retiring due to an engine failure.

Next on the calendar, the French Grand Prix at Magny Cours, July 21st, where an 8th win this season could bring Michael Schumacher his 5th world title, with 6 races to go.... stay tuned.

 

Posted: 7/7/2002

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