Green Party As Jaguar Launches At Lords'.

Jaguar today revealed the car it hopes will return it to the winners' circle in international motorsport.


The unveiling of the new R1 was accompanied by a speech on success by company chairman Dr Wolfgang Reitzle, and the sight of a predominantly green chassis raised hairs on the back of the necks of British racing purists. Team boss Jackie Stewart admitted to being emotional at the birth of another F1 team - despite it replacing his name in the sport's top flight - as company MD Jonathan Browning spoke of the excitement at Jaguar's road car factories in England.


The launch, staged at the historic Lords' cricket ground in London and featuring Jaguar's line-up of two British drivers against a racing green backdrop, was aimed at provoking memories of a national heritage in the sport, and the unveiling of an R1 in predominantly green paintwork completed the picture perfectly.


The colour scheme - which was the component most race fans were focusing on following the already released driver line-up and chassis - stayed faithful to the metallic green revealed at the team's Frankfurt motor show debut last season, with added white flashes on the flanks and wings. New sponsors Becks (beer) and DHL (courier service) joined established names HSBC, MCI Worldcom, Lear and Hewlett Packard on the car, which also featured the original leaping cat logo on the engine cover immediately behind the driver's head.


Race drivers Johnny Herbert and Eddie Irvine were present at the launch, standing alongside team boss Stewart. The Scot admitted that there may have been a tear in his eye as his new charge was unveiled, but exuded confidence for the 2000 campaign.


"The birth of any new Formula One team is always an emotional event," he said, " and I am proud to be associated, once again, with a marque which I drove in the early stages of my career - and a marque which has such a distinguished and successful racing heritage.


"The Jaguar R1 is a car with great potential and, in Eddie and Johnny, we have two outstanding drivers who will help us to realise that potential. I am looking forward with great anticipation to the new season."


"I am very confident that we have a car which is capable of winning races this season," agreed Jackie's son - and Jaguar Racing's chief operating officer - Paul Stewart, "The R1 is a new and logical development of last season's [Stewart SF-3]. Every singe element of the car was analysed and improved and technical director Gary Anderson and his team will continue to work with the drivers to make further improvements before the first race in Australia."


With McLaren and Ferrari yet to reveal their chargers for 2000, Jaguar may have to wait a while for its maiden F1 success but, as the chairman insisted, the company will not rest until its ambitions have been achieved.


"For over fifty years [Jaguar] has been consistent winners in motorsport," Dr Reitzle said, "And now our ultimate objective is the ultimate prize in world motorsport, the Formula One world championship."