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« on: September 13, 2004, 03:16:52 pm »
Nordic, where did you get the info about the Chinese buying into Jaguar?. There are plenty of unconfirmed media reports about the Ford rebranding of the team, and also reliable sources hinting that the team will be scrapped completely at the end of this year. To quote from the Daily Telegraph website of 9th Sept......
"Budgets for next year have still not been signed off at the head office of parent company Ford, leading to fears that the renowned British marque may not be on the grid next season.
Jaguar team principal Tony Purnell has been candid about Ford's position on the company's participation in F1, claiming that unless the cost of competing came down, an exit would be sought. Ford have not reached that point yet but are understood to be prepared to axe the Jaguar livery to accommodate a new title sponsor, or even rebrand the team under the organisation's familiar blue oval logo.
David Pitchforth, Jaguar Racing's managing director, was in meetings with prospective sponsors yesterday in pursuit of the extra funding required to allow the team to compete, in the short term at least, with rival manufacturers at the top end of the F1 grid.
Jaguar arrived in F1 to a great fanfare in 2000 but have struggled to make an impact, finishing no higher than seventh in the constructor's championship, the position they occupy going in to the Italian Grand Prix.
A series of poor appointments both at senior management level and behind the wheel of the car did not help. The appointments of Purnell and Pitchforth two years ago proved a turning point of sorts but without the necessary investment from Ford, the improvements made behind the scenes have gone largely unrecognised.
Pitchforth was not even able to counter the offer that took Mark Webber, the team's highly regarded Australian driver, to Williams for the 2005 season. Even more distressing, with Jaguar's future undecided, he is unable to appoint a replacement.
"
But no mention of the Chinese.