In the world of Formula One, success is everything. But for Ford's Jaguar F1 team, victory remained elusive during its five seasons in the sport. Here are the five key reasons why the team failed, and how its subsequent sale to Red Bull added insult to injury for Ford.
Ford's lack of understanding of Formula One led to their interference with the Jaguar F1 team, causing frustration for those running the team. Despite promising to closely oversee the team, Ford's focus on internal compliance and adherence to their own way of doing things hindered the team's ability to win. The Ford way may have worked well for their position as the world's second-largest carmaker, but it was ill-suited for the fast-paced and innovative world of F1 racing.
Jaguar F1 team suffered from a lack of stability in management, with frequent changes in leadership. Even Ford's Chief Technical Officer, Neil Wrestler, didn't have a good understanding of F1. Bobby Ray Hall was ousted in 2001 after failing to recruit Adrian Newey.
Ford interfered regularly but rarely to positive effects.Ford neither understood F1 nor was willing to let the team get on with doing what was needed to be a success.
Ford aimed to create a British Ferrari, but the team's unrealistic ambitions failed miserably. They aimed to finish third in the Constructors Championship and even challenged for the title, but such objectives were entirely unrealistic.
Ford's inability to adapt to the demands of Formula One led to the regression of the team despite increased spending. They insisted on designing the rollover structure for 2000, which repeatedly failed in crash tests, and refused to let someone make a backup design.
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