BBC SPORT | FORMULA ONE | Jaguar set sights on F1 title

Jaguar boss Niki Lauda has set his team the target of becoming one of the six best in Formula One this year - and of battling for the world championship in 2003.

Speaking on the eve of Friday's launch of the new Jaguar car, Lauda believes that the team can make ambitious steps forward in the two coming seasons.

"After finishing only eighth in the constructors' rankings last year, this season we must climb two or three notches. In 2003, we must be ready to fight for the championship."

That will be not be easy for an outfit that has not even been a regular points scorer in the last two seasons.

This will be the year in which my changes should start to be effective

Niki Lauda
Jaguar F1 boss

But Lauda and lead driver Eddie Irvine have high hopes for the new car, which will be unveiled at the team's Milton Keynes factory.

This is the first time that Jaguar's new design team have created the car from scratch.

Technical director Steve Nichols, chief designer John Russell and head aerodynamicist Mark Handford inherited last year's car from the previous regime.

Lauda believes his influence on the team will start to show this season - he took over as team principal after ousting American Bobby Rahal last summer.

"My first year as Jaguar's team boss was one of analysis," Lauda said on Austrian television.

"It's my job to get us back to the top again and 2002 will be the year in which my changes should start to be effective.

The new Jaguar R3 Formula One car
The new Jaguar has a much higher nose than last year's car

"Our car was about two seconds too slow in 2001 and we were trailing by about 10%. Even if we improve by 7-8%, the others will improve as well, so we will only catch up a little.

"It's a long way to the top, but we will be there sooner than some might think.

"The [new] Jaguar R3 has been conceived with the aim of achieving outstanding aerodynamic efficiency.

"Its' distinctive high nose shape is the result of considerable wind tunnel research and (it) will generate more downforce than R2."

Lauda, a three-time F1 world champion, is to test a Jaguar car to get a better understanding of modern Grand Prix machinery.

Backing for drivers

Irvine, who will be partnered again by Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa, gave his backing to the new car and design and engine improvements made by the team's engineers.

"There's a lot more thought gone into it and a lot more time gone into it as well," Irvine said.

"We've got the weight down and we understand a lot more about the aerodynamics."

Lauda backed his drivers, saying: "The driver line-up was not our problem - the car did not perform to expectation."


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