Jones Backs Jag.

Australian race ace Alan Jones has tipped Jaguar to surprise a few people this season.


Speaking at a sponsor's event at Calder Raceway yesterday, former world champion Jones said that he expected to see the green cars at the front of the field in 2000, and believed that they could upset the apple-cart on more than one occasion.


"There's no shortage of horsepower," he said, "and I think there is no reason why they can't go on getting better and better. They've developed what was already a good chassis, and I think that there will be a few surprises. It goes without saying that it's going to be a sea of green flags at Silverstone - even though Williams and McLaren are British, Jaguar will incite a lot more emotion among the British people - it should be great."


Jones went on to tip Johnny Herbert as the man to watch in the team, despite the arrival of Eddie Irvine from Ferrari.


"I think Eddie did quite well last year," he admitted, "but he didn't win the world championship, and I think his team-mate [Michael Schumacher] would have done if he hadn't broken his leg at Silverstone.


"But I also think that Johnny's going to be a bit of a surprise this year. I think he's in a good mindset, he's more determined and more confident than I've I ever seen him. He did go through a stage where I thought he was a bit ordinary but, since his win last year, I think he's got a new air of confidence about him. He could be a real dark horse."