BAR confirm 2002 driver lineup

[DNQ]

Well, that closes that little avenue of speculation...

From F1Racing.Net

BAR Honda today confirmed that Jacques Villeneuve and Olivier Panis will continue to drive for the team in 2002. Despite recent speculation to the contrary, the team will benefit from a stable driver line-up, affording the continuity needed to help it progress and achieve its ambitions.

2002 will be Jacques Villeneuve's 4th consecutive season with British American Racing underlining his desire to help the team realise its true potential with more podium finishes. Olivier Panis has more than justified his return to full-time racing during his impressive first season with the team, the highlights being points-scoring performances in Brazil and Austria.

"I am looking forward to working with BAR Honda in 2002," said Villeneuve. "Next year we should improve significantly and I'm confident that we can achieve some good results. I have been with the team for three seasons - since the beginning - and during that time there has been a steady progression. I'm very happy that we will continue working together to make the team as competitive as possible. It is also good news that Olivier and I will continue as team-mates. We work well together and that is important for the team to move forward and make the necessary progress."

Olivier Panis added, "I am extremely happy to continue with BAR Honda in 2002. Stability is a key factor in the future of the team and I believe that, together with Honda, we can go on to achieve great success. When I joined it was because Craig Pollock, the team and the partners had faith in my ability to come back into full-time racing and be successful again. In return, I had the same faith in them and their ambition to fight with the top teams in the Constructors Championship. Things haven't always turned out as we expected but it means a lot to me that we still have that same confidence in each other. The fact that Jacques and I will continue to be team-mates is also very important. We've had nearly a year together to get to know each other better and to understand how we both work. Jacques is a fierce competitor and I look forward to working with him again as we challenge the 2002 Championships. Now that everything has been cleared up for next season, I intend to focus on the six races remaining this year and do my utmost to achieve the best possible result in 2001."

Team Chief Craig Pollock, was delighted to make the announcement. "So far, 2001 has been a difficult season for us but the strength of our driver line-up continues to shine through," he said. "Jacques and Olivier have been doing an amazing job. We still have six Grands Prix to focus on and they will just keep pushing all the way. I am very happy that the partnership will continue next season. To fight at the top end of the Constructors' Championship you need two heavyweight drivers and we certainly have that in Olivier and Jacques. The momentum their combined talent brings is an enormous boost to the team. Now it's over to us to give them the tools to do the job in 2002. We have to produce a car that's capable of consistent podium finishes and which takes us nearer to our first win. I believe the continuity Olivier and Jacques will bring, combined with our ongoing partnership with Honda, means we can all look forward to the future with confidence."

[JeremySmith]

Don't you think that it is interesting that this news should come ONE day after the Heinz-Herald/Jordan Grand Prix shocker.

Talk about politics..IMHO Bar want to show Honda that as a team they are more stable than Jordan..I am very interested to hear your views on the subject..

[Run Free]

Me too have been surprised by the fact that this announcement came just the day after HHF's sacking: but I haven't an explication at the moment.
May be that Honda has find the best solution to place his driver in F1 and so all is OK now for them? I'll be VERY CURIOUS to see who of the 4 Honda drivers will get the best from them.....

[f1manoz]

No great surprise considering neither driver had anywhere else to go. It goes back to another post about the fact there is no 'silly season' anymore.

Next year will be interesting though. With Honda to step up it's commitment (meaning it will most likely drop the CART series, which would be a major blowout for that series) in 2003, expect the line-up to change then, most likely a Japanese driver will find his way into a seat.

I wonder if JV is really there for the long term? Honda have been less than impressive this year and Jordan have beaten them fairly this season on pace and JV is less than impressed with the chassis and engine package all season. If things don't improve next season, he might very well move on. Although everyone has been saying that for the past two years!

[Stephen Green]

Sato will be the next Jordan driver for 2002 me thinks...

Stephen

[bella]

still think you're wide of the mark there, stephen

they'd do well to chuck him in f3000 for a while, let him see what it's like to be challenged by a bunch of bullies.

but as for this bar thing, i'm with the cynics.

[Liz]

Ditto. I think for Jacques it was BAR or ... BAR. Possibly there is something in the wind from Toyota, but one would have to assume that they'd be in touch with Frenzy now if they were unhappy with the guys they currently are running. And Panis is probably awaiting the announcement from McLaren and if they offer him the Seat Formerly Filled By Mika, his lawyer will be in touch... but that is a big if.

The only thing that intrigues me, BAR-wise, is whether or not Jock Clear will go to Toyota, as he is broadly hinting, and if he does, will Jacques' lack of pace be blamed on his lack of Jock Clear?

[Roy2]

Interesting sentence construction that.

Not, '..if Jock Clear does go to Toyota, and then if Jacques lacks pace, will it be blamed on Jacques' lack of Jock?' No, it's '..if Jock does go to Toyota, will Jacques' lack of pace then be blamed on lack of Jock?'

What lack of pace? The lack of pace forecast by your wishful thinking? You might as well try voodoo while you're at it. If Clear leaves, then BAR will get JV the best engineer possible, with whom JV will build the best rapport possible, and then he will go like hell as usual.

[Run Free]

Roy2, you should know that Liz throw some funny "lizism" everytime we're speaking of Jacques....

Let her live with her strange and untrue convinctions about a Jacques' lack of pace that exist only in her mind.

[Minardi fan]

Jacques' lack of pace has been evident this season from the start - Panis has thoroughly upstaged him.

However, a lot of this comes from the simple fact that the BAR has a dog of a chassis and perhaps suits Panis more than JV.

[Roy2]

Jacques has outqualified Panis 6 to 5, and has more race points. How does this square with his being thoroughly upstaged by Panis?

Panis is close, but this is evidence that he is fast, not that JV is lacking in pace. Panis on current form would give any team mate a hard time not just JV. Panis is fast and so is JV.