12/09/2004
NEWS STORY
The final of the European Formula One races today offered both drivers and spectators alike a challenging and entertaining race. With rain throughout the morning the track was very damp for the start of the race and all drivers were keen to stay out of the gravel. Jaguar Racing drivers, Mark Webber and Christian Klien both drove clean competitive races, finishing 9th and 13th respectively. The team will now be preparing for the final three races, China, Japan and Brazil, where they will be looking to score more Championship points in the pursuit of retaining their seventh position in the Constructor's Championship.
Mark Webber: The rain overnight managed to change the track conditions quite considerably by this morning and so starting the race today was a bit of a lottery on the tyre front. We made a good decision though and I am pleased with how our start went. I was keen to stay out of the collision zone of the second chicane and I managed to do so. The car felt good out there although we were suffering slightly from under-steer that was making it more challenging to drive. The boys have prepared the car well this weekend and I am pleased with ninth position. We have had good reliability all weekend and this is as a result of the hard work that we have been doing. Looking ahead to the final three races, we are all keen to finish on a high and thus will be looking to score as many points as possible between now and the end of the season.
Christian Klien: My start was good into the first corner and fortunately through the first chicane cleanly. Although it was not raining at the start of the race the track remained quite damp and it was actually quite tricky at times to drive. For me the beginning of the race was really enjoyable and the car felt very good. I enjoyed racing and the Michelin tyres were working well with the car. We did change my front flap slightly however to help with the balance and some under-steer that I was suffering and this seemed to help. My second stint was a bit tricky with the under-steer and it made the car more difficult to drive. However, going into my third stint I made up some time and aimed for the chequered flag. I did have to do a drive-through though of the pit-lane as it appears that I was speeding in the pit-lane during one of my pit stops. I did overtake the Renault of Jarno Trulli at one point though and that was great fun. Overall I enjoyed the race and I am pleased with finishing. I am now looking ahead to the final three races with the goal of scoring points to help the team finish seventh in the Constructors Championship.
Dr Mark Gillan - Head of Vehicle Performance: Both Mark and Christian made reasonable starts off the grid today and managed to avoid any contact through the first chicanes. The weather conditions had changed from very wet this morning to quite warm and damp by the start of the race and our tyre choice fortunately seemed to be the correct one. The balance of the R5 was not bad through the first stint of the race although during the pit stop we did make changes to the front flap on both of the cars, which again improved this. I am generally pleased with our results today given the track conditions this morning were not good and also the reliability of the other teams. Ninth is a good reflection of our pace on track and both Mark and Christian enjoyed some good over-taking manoeuvres throughout the race. Points would have of course been a bonus, but we remain 7th in the Constructor's Championship and we will be looking to add to our point's score during the remainder of the season. With only three races to go there is everything to race for.