Stewart's School of Success
The Tartan Challenge
by Julie Gates
This season has attenuated into pure professionalism for the Stewart Grand Prix team. From the moment Jackie Stewart announced he would create and lead his own team, world has had high expectations… and has not been let down.
Much hard work and preparation saw the Stewart SF01 emotionally launched in London on December 10th 1996. Complete with Rubens Barrichello, Jan Magnussen and a five-year exclusive deal with Ford, their future appeared to be shining bright on the horizon like a full moon in the midst of a clear night.
The debut season, 1997, was not easy for the team, who had several obstacles to overcome; rewards included a magnificent second place at the Monaco Grand Prix courtesy of Rubens Barrichello. However, the Ford engine yielded poor fruit, with the car only seeing the chequered flag eight times in thirty-four starts. Jan Magnussen's performance fell below peoples expectations and when liquidation rumours hit the team, they were compelled to provide the FIA evidence of sufficient funding to remain in Formula One. Still, six points and ninth in the Constructors' Championship was more than acceptable for a start-up team, setting them up nicely to focus on the next season.
1998 was a season which Jackie Stewart proclaimed "in many ways, tougher than our first year," before it began - and proved exactly that. They scored only five points, with Jan Magnussen being dropped after consistent poor performances. Jos Verstappen was called to replace him after the Canadian Grand Prix. Still, improvements to reliability were evident. The team crossed the finish line twelve times in a possible thirty-two.
It was the disappointment of 1998 that drove the team so powerfully into 1999. Jackie Stewart knew serious action needed to be taken and this thought was upheld when preparing their season ahead.
The team's personnel count was increased almost fifty percent to 200, as Gary Anderson join the team from Jordan as technical director. Despite talks of leaving for Benetton, Ford remained committed, and demonstrated it by working with Stewart to build the integrated CR-1 engine. Experienced driver Johnny Herbert was called in to assist the team at their 1999 challenge. All placed together in the mixing bowl lay a recipe for success.
Testing for the 1999 season commenced at a winter-ridden Silverstone on December 23rd '98; the car immediately proved a huge improvement to its predecessors. Both Barrichello and Herbert made statements on it's exceptional balance and handling, leading to high expectations when the SF03 launched on January 7th. Indeed, talks of winning races were finally becoming a reality.
This year has seen the team go from strength-to-strength, both in terms of performance and credibility. Even though the Stewarts smoked and burned simultaneously on the Australian starting grid, Barrichello went on to finish an impressive fifth. A fifth that could have been victory had it not been for starting the race in the pit lane and receiving a stop and go penalty.
The Brazilian Grand Prix saw "Rubhino" work the crowd into a frenzy when he led his home race, only to be forced to the sidelines at mid-distance with a blown engine. Reliability has always been a factor for the team, especially Johnny Herbert, but after a podium finish at Imola, things could only get better.
And indeed they did! After a mid-season slump, the Stewart team (who had announced the Ford buy-out) took a complete turn of fortune. Johnny Herbert triumphed at the scintillating European Grand Prix to take the chequered flag at Luxembourg before anyone else. To add to the already emotional affair, Barrichello brought his car home in third, spearheading the team's attack on Williams for fourth in the Constructors' Championship.
After a season full of hard work, pleasure and pain, Ford developed a new engine for the Malaysian Grand Prix. The series three Cosworth unit meant both Herbert and Barrichello took turns at heading the timesheets during practise, realised to fifth and sixth respectively on the grid; the team had made their mark.
An outstanding performance by both drivers sees them finish fourth and fifth, taking fourth place in the Constructor's Championship, before sealing it in Japan. A fourth place that looked certain to be taken by the Williams F1 team. The feat is one that many thought impossible, before the season started; Jackie Stewart and Co have once again demonstrated that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Very fast…
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.
|
