Stewart - Has Pace, Needs Reliability
by Julie Gates
The Team: Mixed fortunes for the clan. Whilst Rubens Barrichello had completed several race distances, including finishes on the podium and leading a race, Herbert has only reached the chequered flag twice. The car is undoubtedly very quick. Their compact Ford V10 is under 100kg and develops around 800bhp. However, reliability has not been with the team, which has suffered many retirements. Both cars caught fire on the grid in Australia and they continue to be plagued with problems ranging from engines blowing up to suspension breakage's and hydraulics falling apart. On the other hand, they have a car which, when running, is capable of delivering, as demonstrated by excellent qualifying results. Barrichello has - on average - qualifies on the third row of the grid this season, a big improvement on last year. The team has really made huge leaps forward, stunning many with their performance, and leading to the Ford buyout. However, whether or not they can maintain momentum, and keep improving to the end of the season, remains to be seen.
Driver, Rubens Barrichello: Has performed extremely well this season. He has made no driver errors and often qualified amongst the McLarens and Ferraris. His drive at Australia was particularly impressive, where he finished fifth after starting from the pitlane and making an extra stop for a ten second stop/go penalty. He led in Brazil and was in serious contention for a podium when his engine let go, but he made amends by finishing third at Imola. Monaco saw his suspension break, and he was disqualified from the Spanish Grand Prix due to a faulty fastener underneath the car. The race in France was something to watch, where he led most of the way and found Ferrari's and McLarens. With better reliability, he could be a contender for podium finishes. However, to win races, he has to hope that the Ferraris and McLarens don't finish.
Driver, Johnny Herbert: His season really has been dismal, yet he still holds his positive attitude and is always smiling. Giving this guy credit - many other drivers would be seriously down in the gutter by now. He has suffered problem after problem with his car, and has qualified well off the pace of his team-mate. There's no doubting Johnny is a fabulous development driver, but with his lack of reliability, he has been unable to demonstrate his skills on race day.
What's next: The team are working on a new evolutions of their engine and aerodynamic features that should come online through the season. If they can fix their reliability problem, they should finish fourth in the Championship.
Conclusion: A very quick car with a team that has made dramatic improvements over the winter months. Lack of reliability prevents them from unlocking their full potential. We have to ask - do they have what it takes to win?
Rating: 6/10
Article is written by and copyright © 1999-2001 Julie Gates and The F1 Rumors Site
Julie Gates is happiest watching F1 and writing. Also interested in singing, cars, cinema, reading and going to concerts, she has little spare time to relax, but this is the way she likes it - rather being busy than idle as she can't stand still for five minutes! Totally committed to her career as a Formula One journalist, she is determined to succeed.
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