After an uninspiring and unsatisfying 2000 season, 2001 was certainly no better for the Jaguar team, owned by Ford but based in Milton Keynes, UK. Following the arrival of the great Bobby Rahal as CEO, Jaguar also brought Niki Lauda back into F1, appointing him head of the Premier Performance Division. His role was to carefully assess the work of the entire Ford motorsport group and coordinate the activities of Jaguar Racing, Cosworth, and Pi Research. In place of Gary Anderson, who chose to move to the United States to work for Reynard in the IndyCar Series, the position of Technical Director was given to Steve Nichols, arriving from McLaren. John Russell remained Chief Designer, while the Head of Aerodynamics role also changed, going in 2001 to Mark Handford, who replaced Darren Davies.
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| JAGUAR R2, Eddie Irvine Indianapolis, USA GP 2001 |
Driver changes also occurred, with Northern Irishman Eddie Irvine confirmed as lead driver, while the retiring Johnny Herbert was replaced by Brazilian Luciano Burti, already the team’s third driver in 2000. However, Burti failed to impress Jaguar’s management and was dropped after the San Marino GP in favor of Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa. The new Jaguar R2 was a direct evolution of the previous R1 and, apart from the usual changes required by regulation updates, looked very much like the car seen on track in 2000. The new, stiffened and lightened chassis was a classic carbon-fiber monocoque fitted with double wishbone suspension in push-rod configuration, with torsion bars both front and rear. Under the engine cover sat the new Cosworth CR-3, a V10 capable of producing 805 hp at 17,500 rpm, about 25 more than the previous CR-2, but still not enough to challenge Mercedes, Ferrari, and BMW. The gearbox was also new, a longitudinal, semi-automatic sequential seven-speed replacing the old six-speed of the R1. Still, the new R2 was an uncompetitive car, hard to drive at the limit, so much so that years later, Irvine described it in an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica as the worst F1 car he had ever driven.
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| JAGUAR R2, Eddie Irvine Melbourne, Australian GP 2001 |
The new Jaguar was a typical midfield car, and results were slow to come. In the first races, Irvine could only collect a series of retirements. In Brazil, he lost a chance to score points when he went off track in heavy rain while running sixth; in Barcelona, the engine failed while he was in eighth. Burti fared no better, managing only an eighth place in the season opener in Australia. In Austria, Irvine took a decent seventh place behind Jos Verstappen’s Arrows-Asiatech, and at Monaco, luck finally turned for Ford’s team. Irvine delivered a superb qualifying performance, securing sixth place ahead of the more highly rated Williams of Montoya. In the race, he drove without mistakes, unlike Montoya, taking advantage of mechanical problems for Räikkönen and Ralf Schumacher to secure a brilliant third place, giving Ford’s team its first-ever Formula 1 podium. In Canada, it was de la Rosa’s turn to shine, scoring his first point since returning to F1. From then on, Jaguar struggled again to deliver results, partly due to ineffective aerodynamic updates and partly due to tire wear issues, which prevented both drivers from maintaining a consistent pace over a full Grand Prix.
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| JAGUAR R2, Eddie Irvine Montecarlo, Monaco GP 2001 |
The drivers, too, were not free from mistakes. A notable low point came at Spa-Francorchamps, when Irvine executed a “killer” move on Burti at Blanchimont. In the heavy crash, the Prost driver came off worse, with injuries that forced him to miss the final races of the season, leading Prost to call up Thomas Enge. Jaguar wouldn’t finish in the top six again until Monza, where, in a race run under the shadow of the September 11th tragedy just days earlier, de la Rosa brought the team back into the points. At Indianapolis, there was another reason to celebrate for Ford, as Irvine finished fifth after a smart race strategy, running the first stint with a full tank, then attacking in the second half, including a fine pass on Heidfeld in the circuit’s slower section.
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| JAGUAR R2, Pedro de la Rosa Catalunya-Barcelona, Spanish GP 2001 |
The only real excitement Jaguar generated during the season came off-track, and not in driver matters. At the Monaco GP, Jaguar announced it had signed Adrian Newey, whose contract with McLaren was ending. The aim was to have Newey design a competitive car for Ford’s team. But Newey never arrived: convinced by Ron Dennis of potential legal action to block his departure, the British engineer stayed loyal to McLaren. Rahal’s credibility took a hit, and in August, Jaguar dismissed him, replacing him with Niki Lauda. After the second leadership change in two years, Jaguar hoped 2002 would finally be a breakthrough season, but the road ahead for Ford’s team would be anything but easy. Still, 2001 ended slightly better than the previous year, with eighth place in the Constructors’ Championship and nine points scored.
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