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The Stewart NewspaperFebruary 1999
Stewart makes progress
Rubens Barrichello had electrical problems but, although he only managed to get in 18 laps, he set the second quickest time of the day. He stopped the stopwatches at 1:21.14 which was just .05 of a second slower than Jarno Trulli in the Prost-Peugeot.
"We spent most of the day trying to fix a throttle problem," Barrichello said. "There is no doubt that the car has great potential. What we need to do now is work on reliability."
Good news on the reliability front is that the Ford Cosworth engineers are confident that they have found the problem that caused several engine failures earlier this month.
Jackie wants Gordon
INDIANAPOLIS-Formula One wants NASCAR star Jeff Gordon, and Stewart recently offered the three-time Winston Cup champion and two-time Daytona 500 a winner in a Stewart-Ford F-1 car.
"I'd love to (see Gordon in F-1) because he's clearly an enormously talented driver,"Stewart said after viewing the construction of the new Brickyard F-1 circuit. "He's an attractive young man. He behaves very well. He presents himself and the sport well.More than anything else, he's a hell of a driver."
"One day I'd like to see him sitting in an F-1 car and maybe give him a test and let him have a drive around. In fact, I spoke to him several months ago and offered him that possibility."
This is not the first time Stewart has tried to entice Gordon to Europe. Before the days when he was running his F-1 team and when Gordon was still climbing to stardom, Stewart hoped to sign the American.
"I tried to get Jeff Gordon to drive one of our team cars in Paul Stewart Racing . . . another team that we have," Stewart said. "I spoke to him when he was living here (Indianapolis). I phoned him up and asked if he would come over. We were struggling to get an American sponsor to sign this talented driver. "I must have been the first of the international bunch to see the potential of him. It was going to take $100,000 to get him to come over. We couldn't get the money out of America because in those days the formative classes of motor sports didn't get any media coverage. It didn't matter what your name was."
In retrospect, it would have been the best $100,000 a sponsor ever spent! Besides Stewart F-1, it's known that Jacques Villeneuve's British American Racing Grand Prix team has expressed an interest in Gordon. A top CART team has also offered Gordon the possibility to test a Champ Car. So far, however, Gordon has declined all proposals.
One reason Gordon remains in NASCAR is that he'd have to take a pay cut in F-1. Other than Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen, it's doubtful that any F-1 driver earns more than Gordon in salary and endorsements. Furthermore, those involved with Gordon in NASCAR are also reaping the financial benefits and have no intention of letting him go.
"Jeff Gordon is making so much money now in his own area that it would be difficult for him to see the logic of leaving that guaranteed market place and going into the rat race of F-1 Grand Prix racing," Stewart said. Still, Stewart feels that a top driver like Gordon could easily adapt to F-1.
"As we've seen before,' Stewart said, "when somebody is a good driver it doesn't have to be in a niche market. AJ Foyt came over and won the Le Mans 24 Hour race. Dan Gurney did F-1 highly successfully as well as sports cars and Indy cars. When Jim Clark came over he did pretty well around these ovals as did Graham Hill . . . and I managed reasonably well. The really good drivers have been able to integrate into whatever challenges are there."
Herbert unhurt after big accident
STEWART G.P.-Johnny Herbert had a massive accident at Barcelona today.On a flying lap, he
had just crossed the start-finish line when the car veered left and struck the wall on the Circuit de Catalunya’s main straight.Herbert said: ‘I don’t remember a lot about it but all I know is that the car went left at very high speed. I recall the first impact then opened my eyes again to see the wall in front of me. To have an accident of that kind at that speed, probably over 300kmh, and walk away, is a testament to the design of the modern Formula One car.' Though the damage to the car was extensive, Herbert was unhurt. ‘All I got was a slight bump on the knee but other than that I’m fine,’ he said. ‘It ended what has been a pretty eventful test for the team overall.' Herbert had completed just 15 laps before the incident. The team is still investigating the cause of the accident. Jackie Stewart, who was also looking on from the pit wall, said: ‘We all recognise that a high-speed accident such as this is not uncommon in pre-season testing. What it does demonstrate is that the safety elements in today’s Formula One both for the car and the driver work very well indeed. I would like to add that the marshals at the circuit responded quickly and effectively.'Stewart to run with modified V10 this week at Barcelona
EVANS-The Stewart team had to cut short their last three day testing session at Barcelona scheduled for the 9th to the 11th of February because of a flood of engine failures.
The team only ran on the first day and Johnny Herbert clocked the second fastest time for the team before the team had to abandon testing. Stewart then decided rather to return home in the fear of losing more units if they were to continue with the testing session.
Nick Hayes said that the team's analysis after the session showed a potential problem, which could easily have affected the other units in the same way and thus the decision to halt their session.
This week the team is undertaking another testing session at Barcelona with both drivers in action. In light of the problems experienced on their previous run, the team will be making use of modified V10's for the testing session.
Barrichello eagerly awaits his first victory
Auto Race, 19th-Rubens Barrichello has been in the Formula One arena for six seasons, but he has yet to win a Grand Prix and is quickly approaching his 100th GP at the San Marino GP on May 2nd of the 1999 season.
Barrichello himself said that he is not going to spend his life in Formula One without a win. He added that he is looking forward to the upcoming season and extremely determined to take his first victory.
He is confident that the Stewart team can deliver in the upcoming season as he explained by saying: "But I think that if I was with another team this year, then I would say that I would be facing a tough 1999. But I know I am not - and I am with someone who wants to win. Like everyone else, Jackie wants to do well in Formula One. He has got ambitious plans and he is following them through, contacting people, expanding things and generally doing more than he has ever done before. He is spending time with the right people, so I feel I have every confidence in him."
Speaking on his 100th GP coming up he admitted that it is difficult for him to think of how many GP's he has started in and he has yet to win a race. He added that the reason why he hasn't won yet is because he didn't have the right car to win with so far in his Formula One career. "So, for me, the 100th grand prix will be only a statistical landmark. Unless I win a race before it."
Jackie tours US GP site
Auto Race, 17th-On Tuesday, 16 February, Jackie Stewart owner of the Stewart F1 team became the first F1 team owner to be taken on a tour of the new Formula One course, currently
under construction.After touring the facility, Stewart said: "It was great to be back here in Indianapolis. The fact that there will be a U.S. Grand Prix here in 2000 is a very big step forward for Formula One Grand Prix racing. I have felt there has been a tremendous void in our form of motor racing over the past couple of years because there has not been a Grand Prix in the United States".
He spoke out on what he saw when he said the following concerning the start-finish straight: "The fact that in all likelihood that we will start along that hallowed row of bricks at the start-finish line is very important in terms of the heritage of this place. And, for that matter, in the heritage of motorsports. There's a great history in Formula One, and there's a great history here, and to start near that row of bricks will be great in terms of nostalgia."
He continued by saying that from what he has seen it might very well become the safest circuit on the F1 calendar. He elaborated: "The debris fencing here is so much more sophisticated ... and much more so here at Indianapolis ... than anywhere else. The fact that Indy is an established race track with great viewing and facilities is a big factor in their favor. And I think people are going to want to come from around the world to see Indianapolis. People expect to see motor racing in Indianapolis. It's a very impressive arena for racing."
He ended with: "We see this as our 'home track' now for Formula One, and Stewart-Ford as the 'home team' for U.S. fans to get behind."
Stewart getting ready for Silverstone testing
Auto Race, 16th-The Stewart team will start testing at Silverstone in England on a high this week after the promising times set by Briton's Johnny Herbert last week at Barcelona in Spain. They did however suffer reliability problems but are confident that those can be sorted out.
"While reliability seems to be a problem, we can get that sorted out before Australia," said a confident Herbert. He continued by saying: "I can see Stewart having its best start ever." He reckons that the mid-field would be very competitive and said that he knows that the battle will be between McLaren and Ferrari.
