Review: 1991 JaguarSport Intercontinental Challenge
BACKGROUND
The three-race JaguarSport Intercontinental Challenge supported the Formula 1 events at Monaco, Silverstone and Spa in 1991.
XJR-15 purchasers got the cost of race preparation and maintenance thrown in for the entire series, but any damage incurred had to be paid for separately.
Having parted with nearly $1m for their cars, most owners that wanted to participate got professional drivers to do the racing. Record producer Matt Aitken and Microsoft banker Andy Evans were the exceptions.
Grid slots were limited to 16 cars. The winners at Monaco and Silverstone received a Jaguar XJR-S. At Spa there was a $1m cheque for the victor which, along with the XJR-15’s spectacular nature, guaranteed Jaguar enormous publicity.
All three events were fully subscribed, each with 16 cars in attendance.
1991 MONACO GP
At Monaco, the twitchy XJR-15s proved a highlight of the Grand Prix weekend.
Qualifying took place on Thursday and Friday, but as the second session was held in pouring rain, no-one was able to improve their time.
Derek Warwick took pole followed by Armin Hahne, Jim Richards, David Brabham, Davy Jones, Bob Wollek, Tiff Needell, John Nielsen, Ian Flux, Juan Manuel Fangio II, David Leslie, Yojiro Terada, Matt Aitken, Matsuaki Sunada, Cor Euser and Andy Evans.
The only practice incident was when Jones thumped Needell in the rear on the entry to Ste Devote.
The 16 lap race took place on Saturday after F1 qualifying. All three events began with a rolling start behind an XJS driven by Tom Walkinshaw.
Second place man Hahne briefly muscled ahead before Ste Devote, but after the two lead cars touched several times, Warwick emerged from the corner in front.
Wollek dropped to eleventh when he changed from second to fifth up the hill.
At the end of lap one, Warwick led from Hahne, Brabham, Jones and a fast-starting Nielsen. However, on lap two Nielsen side swiped the barrier at Tabac and mangled two corners of his car.
The next lap, Hahne lost control entering Swimming Pool and dropped to sixth as Brabham, Jones, Fangio and Needell went through.
Hahne’s spin gave Warwick a break at the head of the field until he too got it wrong heading into Swimming Pool on lap six.
This allowed Brabham and Jones to close the gap, but Warwick held on for a famous win.
The rest of the top ten comprised Fangio, Hahne, Wollek, Needell, Richards, Sunada and Euser.
1991 BRITISH GP
At Silverstone, Warwick started from the head of the field for the second race in succession. He pipped Brabham to pole while Euser was relegated to third having set fastest time in the first session.
Next up were Flux, Wollek, Fangio, Leslie, Hahne, Acheson (a late substitute for Sunada), Needell, Nielson, Jones, Win Percy (stricken with a misfire), Aitken, Evans and Terada.
The 20 lap race got off to a frantic start when the first couple of rows decided to go passed the pace car early. Brabham initially headed the field, but slid wide at Copse which allowed Euser and Warwick through.
The carnage began on the second lap when Nielsen and Jones hit each other several times while trying to make their way through the mid field.
Then Warwick and Euser had a coming together at Becketts; Euser dropped to third while Warwick continued in the lead, but he had picked up a puncture. Brabham tried to pass Warwick at Club. The cars made contact and both headed for the pits with damage.
This allowed Euser back into a short-lived lead despite his bonnet coming adrift. A spectacular 120mph spin at Becketts then dropped him to fifth behind Flux, Fangio, Hahne (who had sideswiped Fangio) and Needell.
Leslie was sixth. He had already been hit by Needell and was then biffed by Euser at Priory. Two corners later, Needell punted fourth-placed Hahne into a spin. The next lap Hahne deliberately repaid the favour.
As Needell was getting going again, Flux missed a gear out front and was passed by Fangio while the patient Wollek had moved into third.
It seemed that Win Percy was set for a well-deserved fourth place finish until the misfire he’d suffered all weekend cut the engine completely.
Only six cars were in contention during the closing stages.
On lap 18, Wollek passed Flux for second.
Fangio won by just over three seconds. Leslie recovered fourth from Hahne and Needell. Eleven of the 16 cars had incurred some kind of body damage.
1991 BELGIAN GP
The Intercontinental Challenge race at Spa was one of the richest events in motor racing with $1m on the line for the winner.
As there had been speculation about race fixing agreements between the drivers, Jaguar decided the finale would run for an undisclosed number of laps. All the drivers knew was that the chequered flag would fall after at least six laps.
Just minutes into the opening qualifying session, Needell clattered the barrier at Eau Rouge and incurred extensive damage. Fortunately, the rest of the Friday and Saturday sessions passed without incident.
Euser took pole early in the second session followed by Brabham, Warwick, Hahne, Percy and Will Hoy. In seventh through 16th were Wollek, Leslie, Thierry Tassin, Flux, Pierre Dieudonne, John Watson, Needell, Richards, Jeff Allam and Evans.
In the race, Euser retained his advantage off the line while Brabham had a huge moment at the top of Eau Rouge and dropped from second to seventh.
The first lap finished with Euser, Hahne and Warwick having broken clear of the chasing pack which comprised Percy, Hoy, Tassin, Wollek, Brabham and Leslie. Leslie’s car showed minor damage after a clash with Brabham.
On lap two, John Watson lost control doing 140mph at the end of the main straight when trying to pass Needell. The two cars touched, Watson went backwards into the barriers and both cars headed gingerly to the pits.
The next lap, debutant Tassin got it wrong at the Bus Stop while trying to out-brake Percy for fourth. After a minor tangle, Tassin ended up perched atop the barrier following a heavy impact.
With six laps gone, things began to get a little fraught at the front.
Hahne’s chance of victory came on lap eight when Euser nearly went off at Eau Rouge and Hahne slipstreamed into the lead. Warwick also tried to go through and battled with Euser for the rest of lap until the Englishman lost it in the sequence of fast corners before the Bus Stop. Warwick’s car pin-balled off the barriers in what was the biggest crash of the series.
Percy was promoted to third.
On lap eleven, the commentators announced it was final lap. Hahne held on to win the $1m prize which he split 50/50 with the owner of his car.
Euser finished in the runner up spot, four seconds down the road, followed by Percy.
Hoy and Wollek drove steady races to finish fourth and fifth while Brabham recovered to sixth.
Although the Intercontinental Challenge had been a big success, a repeat series was not organised.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Supercar Nostalgia & Jaguar - https://www.jaguar.com
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