Photo by Ben Sutherland, CC BY 2.0
Photo by Ben Sutherland, CC BY 2.0
In 1996, Jackie Stewart wanted to run his own team in F1, and it was not bad idea, while easily we can say that he changed the future of F1 forever, and so why is that? Let’s explore below…
His team was founded in 1996 by himself, the three time world champion Jackie Stewart and his son Paul Stewart.
Very ambitious, they entered in F1 with a vision, fighting against the best teams in F1 like McLaren or Ferrari.
The early years and their challenges
The team debut in 1997 was met with cautions and optimism, Stewart team impressed many observers by delivering consistent performances despite limited resources.
But the money was the problem of the team then, they couldn’t match competitors like Ferrari and McLaren, but at least they produced reliable cars that can finish races and it was remarkable achievement for a rookie team in 1997.
The challenger of keeping pace with the top teams was enormous, financial pressure quickly became apparent and attracting major sponsors proved difficult for the team.
Podiums, Points, and Steady Progress
Despite being a new team, the numbers were there, many teams entered in F1 but Stewart journey in F1 was not as bad as we think.
Looking at their results:
Stewart Grand Prix Key Statistics
- Years Active: 1997–1999
- Race Entries: 49
- Grand Prix Wins: 1 (1999 European Grand Prix – Johnny Herbert)
- Podium Finishes: 5
- Pole Positions: 1
- Championship Points: 47
- Constructors’ Championships: 0
- Drivers’ Championships: 0
Fourty-Nine points and a win, 5 poidums? That’s something difficult to achieve but they proved that small teams could still make their mark on a sport dominated by giants!
Breakthrough and Memorable Victory in F1
The highlights of Stewart GP’s brief history came at the 1999 European GP, where Johnny Herbert won the race, the team’s first and only Grand Prix Victory, so if you look back it was one of the most dramatic races back then.
This triumph was more than a simple race win, winning a race in your third year in Formula 1, even Red Bull had to wait four years (entered in 2004, won in 2008) to win in F1.
It showed that even with limited resources, with a solid job, team effort, you can achieve a remarkable success in the pinnacle of motorsport.
Financial pressures and the end of an era
The realities of F1 economics ultimately shaped the fate of this team, running a competitive team required massive budgets for research, development and personnel.
Even with Ford’s backing, the team struggled to secure the financial strength necessary to challenge consistently for podiums.
In 1999, Ford acquired the team outright and rebranded it as Jaguar Racing (Later bought by Red Bull 2004) for the 2000 season.
And we all know that Red Bull, dominated in F1 for years, first with Vettel then Verstappen.
This marked the end of Stewart GP team.
What can we say more?
Although Stewart GP, lasted only three season but the impact on F1 resonates to this day.
The team proved that newcomers could score points, claim podiums, and even win races against much larger and more established teams.
Many people of Stewart GP staff, continued in F1, who had big influence in Jaguar team and then at Red Bull.
The story of Stewart GP is a reminder, of how ambition and talent can achieve remarkable feats, but sustaining success requires immense resources and strategic foresight.
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