Stewart Grand Prix
Stewart Grand Prix was a Formula One constructor and racing team founded by triple Formula One champion Jackie Stewart and his son Paul Stewart in 1996. The team competed in F1, as the Ford works-supported team, for only three seasons, from 1997 to 1999. The 1999 season was by far its strongest, yielding one win (Johnny Herbert at the ) and one pole position (Rubens Barrichello at the ) en route to finishing fourth overall in the Constructors Championship. At the end of 1999, Ford bought the team outright and it was renamed Jaguar Racing. In 2004 Jaguar Racing was sold to energy drink company Red Bull GmbH and was rebranded Red Bull Racing in . Origins The team's origins are traced back to the end of 1988 when Jackie Stewart's son Paul set up Paul Stewart Racing, having bought the Gary Evans Motorsport Team. This team entered the 1989 British Formula 3 season with a workforce of 10 employees. The team attracted the sponsor Camel. Paul Stewart drove the car alongside German Otto Rensing. The team had a single win with Stewart at Snetterton. In 1990, the team expanded with a move to new headquarters in Milton Keynes, and was divided into three sections; preparation for European Formula 3000, Formula 3 and Formula Vauxhall Lotus. Within a few years, the team enjoyed success, winning 12 titles and 119 races in various categories. In late 1995, Stewart Racing expressed disinterest in moving up to F1, considering that short-lived entries Simtek, Pacific and Forti either had folded or looked likely to fold. This position was reversed in January 1996 when Jackie Stewart secured a five-year development deal with Ford to make it a factory team. Before, Ford had been in a deal as a factory engine supplier to Sauber. The team gained finance from Malaysia as a promotion for the country in general. Stewart were in consultation with John Barnard about a business plan with a budget of £24 million. Racing history 1997 The first car named the Stewart SF01 was launched on 19 December 1996. With backing from Ford, Stewart GP entered the 1997 Australian Grand Prix with drivers Rubens Barrichello and Jan Magnussen. The only success of their first year came at the rain-affected where Barrichello finished second. Magnussen in the second car finished just outside the points in seventh after losing his front wing at the chicane. Elsewhere, the cars were consistent midfield runners and Barrichello was often in a position to challenge for points. Stewart's reliability was poor, as the Ford Zetec-R V10 engine installed in the SF01 chassis proved to be extremely fragile. This restricted the team to just eight classified finishes out of a possible thirty-four. 1998 1998 was a struggle for the team, with neither driver able to step onto the podium. Indeed, points were hard to come by, and after a number of poor drives Jan Magnussen was replaced by Dutchman Jos Verstappen, ironically the race after Magnussen scored his first and only