Thursday 22nd February 2001

Jaguar boss Bobby Rahal told his driver Eddie Irvine to curb his criticism of the team ahead of the new season. Irvine had openly slammed the car’s lack of pace at a test a couple of weeks earlier and Rahal was keen to put a lid on his brutally honest driver. “I think he was trying to tweak us a bit so we know what we ought to be doing for him,” said Rahal. “I don’t know if the criticisms are Eddie’s way of motivating the team. I’ve seen other drivers do that, but I’ve never felt it was a very positive way of motivating people.”