Jaguar ready for Silverstone burst.

Pre-race testing at Silverstone has given the Jaguar team hope for this weekend's British Grand Prix.

The self-styled British favourite returns home without a point to its name after three races this season, but is confident of opening its account after Eddie Irvine clocked fourth fastest time at the recent Silverstone test. The Irishman was just three-tenths of pace-setter Michael Schumacher and, although team-mate Johnny Herbert was further back, Jaguar is satisfied that it has made an improvement.

''It's been raining for three days, which makes it difficult to see how the car's performing,'' admitted technical director Gary Anderson,'' but I think we've improved. How big that improvement is, we'll have to wait and see but, if we get one car in the top six and one in the top ten at the grand prix, we'll be happy.''

Anderson was also confident that he and his technical team had managed to incorporate the FIA's new electronics rules without hampering the R1's performance too greatly.

''The changes have been both extensive and expensive,'' he revealed, ''but we've got everything done now, and we're reasonably happy that everything functions. I suppose we weren't down the [development] path as far as other people, so it wasn't so difficult for us, but it's still been hard work.''

Irvine, likewise, is happy with his performance and that of his car, but cannot understand Herbert's lack of pace. The Englishman has been hit harder by mechanical problems than his Irish counterpart but, as Irvine told the British Times newspaper yesterday, things need to change quickly.

''The engine is competitive, but we are not making the most of it,'' he said, ''and we need to improve aerodynamically. We have not taken a step backwards, but need to take the big step forward very soon.

''Johnny went well over the winter in testing and, at the end of last year, was flying, so his form is hard to explain. He's not performing as well as he can, and does seem to struggle in qualifying but, if he keeps qualifying 17th or 18th, it is not going to do him any good.''