Eddie Irvine insists he is not even considering retirement and maintains this season won’t the last of his career.
But the 36-year-old does admit the British Grand Prix at Silverstone will play a defining role in whether he stays in Formula One next season.
Irvine is hopeful of debuting the heavily-revised Jaguar Racing R3b car at the Northamptonshire track claiming if its performance does not measure up to the high expectations then he could walk away from the sport.
"I am not thinking about this being my last British Grand Prix," said Irvine, who is nearing the end of his three-year £18 million contract with the Milton Keynes-based outfit.
"I am thinking that this package is going to be good. We are going to turn up there and surprise people and we are going to enjoy that.
"Look where Renault came from to where they have ended up, we want to achieve that.
"The race is going to be one of the defining factors in my future. It is going to let me know what to do."
Jaguar's new technical director Gunther Steiner - brought in by three-time former world champion Niki Lauda - was forced to work on a heavily-revised version of the old car after the R3 had proved to be an embarrassment at times this season.
Irvine did score a fortunate three points in the season opener in Australia after almost half the field had been taken out at the first corner, but since then he has been stuck near the back of the grid.