Officials from Ford, the US motor giant, have said that Jaguar’s F1 programme would be kept on-line beyond 2004.

The outfit’s future has been in doubt with it failing to deliver any decent results since its flotation in 2000 and costing over $150 million a year to run. This year it has struggled badly, running at the back of the field due to aerodynamic flaws with the R3 contender.

But Richard Parry-Jones, Ford’s Chief Technical Officer, said that Ford was eager to see the team perform. And he said Nick Scheele, Ford’s Chief Operating Officer, had been in contact with Jaguar-Racing Team Principal Niki Lauda to assure him that the team would have Ford’s backing for years to come.

Jaguar is working hard to improve its on-track misery. It has appointed a new team of aerodynamic designers and acquired a new wind tunnel in Bicester.

Parry-Jones said Ford was prepared to stick with it.

‘We are not considering any exit strategy; we're digging in,’ he said.