It's understood that Ford bosses will hold a crunch meeting next week to decide the future of its motorsport programme, a meeting that could signal then end, or indeed rebirth, of its Jaguar Racing F1 programme.

As we have previously reported, there has been much talk of Ford simply re-branding the Jaguar Racing team as Ford GP, or something similar, however there is also the possibility that the automotive giant could pull the plug completely.

Earlier this year Tony Purnell was unable to confirm to Bernie Ecclestone that Jaguar would be on the grid in 2005, prompting fears that the Milton-Keynes outfit was doomed. Purnell subsequently claimed that his comments had been taken out of context, and it was then that the re-branding stories began emerging.

Ford is taking the future of its motorsport programme extremely seriously, and is thought to be on the verge of pulling out of the WRC but at the same time getting more involved in Formula Ford and even the inaugural World Touring Car Championship.

Ford has indicated that if it does continue with its F1 programme it will not significantly raise its financial contribution, leading to speculation of a commercial partnership, with the inevitable talk of 'consortiums'.

This weekend the Jaguar team is in Italy, where it achieved one of its best results, finishing third in 2002.