Webber: My focus is on Jaguar

Mark Webber has pledged his immediate future to Jaguar Racing despite being linked with Williams as replacement for Juan Pablo Montoya.

The Australian has emerged as one of the favourites to succeed Montoya when he moves to McLaren-Mercedes in 2005.

But Webber insists: “There is no question that I want to win grands prix and it is my job to do the best I can for the team I drive for, which at this stage is Jaguar for next year and maybe the year after.

“I make no secret of the fact that I admire the way Williams go about their work. But I’m massively focused towards Jaguar at the moment and I’m looking forward to staying with them for the next few years.

“But we’ll see what happens. I’ve just got to keep driving.”

Webber, who is managed by Renault boss Flavio Briatore, has also been linked with a move to the French manufacturer in 2005 to form a partnership with Fernando Alonso.

The 27-year-old is one of the most highly-rated drivers on the grid despite only being in F1 for two years. Webber scored 17 of Jaguar’s 18 points last season after joining the team from Minardi.

Webber will get back into the cockpit of a grand prix car in Valencia next week when testing resumes having just completed a 10-day trek across the Tasmanian wilderness to raise money for children’s charities.

The former Renault tester heads to Spain not knowing who his team-mate will be at Jaguar when the 2004 campaign gets under way in Melbourne on March 7.

Britain’s Justin Wilson, who competed in the last five races of last season, will also be at the test as will young hopefuls Christian Klein of Austria and American Townsend Bell.

Favourite for the seat is McLaren test driver Alex Wurz who competed in 52 races for Benetton (now Renault) between 1997 and 2000.