Formula one: Burti axed from Jaguar for 2002 season

Ford's Premier Performance Division CEO, Niki Lauda, confirmed that Luciano Burti would not be driving for the Jaguar team next season.

Since Jaguar CEO, Bobby Rahal, announced that current test driver Pedro de la Rosa would race for the team next year, speculation has been rife as to which of the current race drivers would be dropped - Eddie Irvine or Luciano Burti.

Burti is in his first year of Grand Prix racing, after testing for the team last season, and Irvine is the more experienced contender, with a contract for next year.

However, there was talk of internal disputes between the Ulsterman and Jaguar.

Lauda's comments seem to confirm that the team will honour the Ulsterman's contract. "De la Rosa has a contract to race next season, so he and Eddie will drive next season. That is fixed," Lauda said.

"We had to commit to him (de la Rosa) as he would not agree to sign as a test driver if he didn't have a full drive next year. My urgent need was for us to have a proper test driver.

He is doing a perfect job in testing. The information he is giving us is perfect.

The combination of him and Irvine seems ideal to me.

"Under the circumstances Burti is doing a perfect job.

"The Spanish media keep asking me if de la Rosa will drive at Barcelona, but I keep telling them he will only race if either of our regular drivers gets ill."

Burti was outperformed by Irvine at the first two races of the season, but he has begun to whittle the time-gap down and in qualifying for the San Marino Grand Prix he was only 0.18 secs off the Ulsterman's pace.

According to Burti's press officer, he is just working towards the next race.

The team has not spoken to him officially about his role in 2002, but will be speaking to him during the next month.

He has been guaranteed a drive with the team for the rest of this season.