MARCH 19, 2002

Jaguar to decide on chassis this week

JAGUAR will make its way to Barcelona this week to decide if the team will revert to using the R2 again, and continue to develop the R3 with the test team.

Jaguar has been disappointed with the performance of the new R3, particularly with the lack of downforce. The front wing and floor have been redesigned since its debut during winter testing, but the car has improved very little.

The team will test the R3 and R2 side by side in Barcelona, where a few of the other teams will be testing as well, and make their decision based purely on speed.

"I want to make a rational decision," said Guenther Steiner. "If R2 is better, we go to R2. We have to do the best for the team, and that is to get the quickest car, for sure. If we can avoid it, we avoid it. But if that is not based on any emotions or anything, it's just based on the speed of the car."

Pedro De la Rosa will test the cars on Wednesday and Thursday, and Eddie Irvine will take over on Friday. If Jaguar decides to use the R2, it will not be seen until Imola on April 14th because there is not enough time to prepare three cars for the Brazilian GP in less than two weeks.

In Australia, the team qualified 19th and 20th, more than four seconds off Michael Schumacher's pole time, and in Malaysia they qualified 17th and 20th, almost three seconds off the pace using the R3.