MARCH 30, 2001

Jaguar Racing to axe Silverstone factory plans

JAGUAR RACING boss Bobby Rahal says that the company is looking at cancelling its plans to build a big new facility at Silverstone.

JAGUAR RACING boss Bobby Rahal says that the company is looking at cancelling its plans to build a big new facility at Silverstone. The move comes after weeks of unsuccessful negotiation with the Northamptonshire racing circuit. Rahal told reporters in Brazil that all the team really needs is a new windtunnel. He did not mention the fact that Jaguar is to buy a windtunnel from Adrian Reynard nor that the new facility is already being built opposite the BAR factory in Brackley.

However this does not mean that the Silverstone project is definitively off as Silverstone may come back to the negotiating table as a result of the Jaguar announcement. The fact is that Jaguar needs a new Cosworth facility urgently and that the current Jaguar factory is also not as effective as it could be as it was always designed to be an interim solution for the team.