After three so-so years at Sauber, it's all change again for 1999. What should we expect?

I'm not someone who changes loyalties without good reason, so I had been thinking long and hard about my future well before I made the decision to switch to Stewart Grand Prix for 1999.

For me, the major attraction of Stewart - F1's very own tartan army - is that Ford are a major manufacturer and are now pushing hard in the right direction. Stewart are a good team too, and they can do really well. There is terrific potential here, and if we all put our heads together there is no reason why the team cannot do a lot better.

Of course, some of my less ardent supporters think my latest move is a well paid prelude to retirement. But they thought that when I joined Sauber in 1996! I really don't see it that way at all. Retirement has always been the last thing on my mind. As far as I'm concerned, I'm looking forward to a long-term relationship with a growing team - not winding down my career.

Remember that Stewart Grand Prix are a young team - just two racing years old. Jordan started in Fl in 1991, and they've only just won their first race. They had a fantastic first year, but their second and third weren't exactly brilliant. I think you'd be naive to purely on Stewart's results to date. That's very unfair on a new team. Anyone who really understands Fl knows that success doesn't come overnight. You only have to look at the manner in which McLaren struggled to get back to the front in recent years.

Stewart will be making changes for 1999, and I'm sure that the revisions that they propose will improve things. That's one of the factors that attracted me in the first place. That and the connection with Ford. It's one hell of a lot better to be with a big manufacturer than to be merely a customer. It seems to me that Ford are fighting hard in Europe to make the F1 thing work. The last time I worked with the company was in my first season with Sauber, in 1996. Compared with then, there seems to be a whole different attitude. Everyone is really focused.

The detractors were also quick to point out the fate of the two previous drivers at Stewart, Jan Magnussen and Jos Verstappen. But, honestly, how can you look at things that way? If you ask me, Jan was in some ways lucky to get a second season after the disappointing way he went in the first. A lot of other teams would have ditched him far, far sooner. Obviously it's been difficult for Jos because he's only had a few races.

I'd say, with all my experience, that I was probably an obvious choice, and I don't mean that to sound arrogant. I know I can gel very well - with Rubens Barrichello, and that we'll be very positive together. Of course we've got to push damned hard to make it happen. I'm really looking forward to playing a major role in the development and testing and having a recognised input into the direction that the team take.

It would be wrong for me to say anything negative about Sauber. I enjoyed my time with the team; but after a few things that have happened this year, I felt it was time for a fresh challenge. As far as our prospects are concerned for the 1999 season, a lot will depend on what happens if and when Goodyear pull out. At present, I would say that Goodyear are doing slightly better than Bridgestone, but if there is just one tyre manufacturer that will be better for us. Right now there is only one real Bridgestone runner, McLaren, and it's around them that development is done. That would change if Goodyear leave.

Jackie and Paul Stewart know that they need a better chassis - and that is where the Ford connection will also help, because the team have other avenues within the Blue Oval to exploit - which will enable them to achieve that improvement. I also know that Cosworth's planned new engine is much less of a compromise than the present unit. All in all, I think we will be well placed to surprise a lot of people.

These GP Columns appeared exclusively in F1 Racing magazine every month.
The columns are reproduced by kind permission of the Editor, Matt Bishop.
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This page prepared 18th September 1998.