APRIL 24, 2003

Pizzonia put on the spot

Jaguar Racing has finally admitted publicly that Antonio Pizzonia is in danger of losing his drive because of poor performances this year.

Jaguar racing has finally admitted publicly that Antonio Pizzonia is in danger of losing his drive because of poor performances this year.

"I don't think it is a great secret that Antonio's position is under review," Nav Sidhu, the press officer told The Guardian. "There are a lot of things about his performances so far this year that are causing us concern. The level of disparity between his performances and those of his team-mate Mark Webber is alarming."

But the team is giving him one more chance at Barcelona where the Brazilian had a considerable amount of experience. If he does not improve then Jaguar is expected to take on Alexander Wurz, who is currently test driving at McLaren although there have also been some contacts between the team and Eddie Irvine. This is not thought likely to happen as the current philosophy at Jaguar is not to have individual stars but rather to promote the concept of teamwork.

Letting Pizzonia know in public that his job is on the line is a make-or-break solution and it will be very tough for a young driver like Pizzonia to remain cool and react in a positive fashion.