O F F I C I A L N E W S P A G E
O F F I C I A L N E W S P A G E
Glock to race in Japan
Jordan Ford announces that Timo Glock, the team’s official third driver, will race car 19 in the Grand Prix of Japan next weekend. The contract between Jordan Ford and Derek Matkovic has been terminated.
Eddie Jordan said, “It has been a pleasure working with Derek this year however contractual issues have made this unavoidable and we wish him every success in the future. Timo’s performance throughout the season as our third driver in testing and free practice has been first-class particularly when he stood in and raced in Canada. I am confident that in this unexpected call-up he will do a good job for Jordan again."
Glock has participated in team test sessions and Friday free practice at every Grand Prix so far this season. He raced in the Canadian Grand Prix and finished 10th in his F1 race debut.
Robert Doornbos is third driver for Japan & Brazil
Jordan Ford announces that Robert Doornbos will be the team’s third driver and will drive the team’s third car (39) at the Grands Prix of Japan and Brazil 2004. Doornbos won the F3000 race in Spa this year and scored a further three podiums, finishing 3rd overall in the 2004 FIA International F3000 Championship for Arden International and adding the 2004 F3000 “Rookie Of the Year” award to his list of achievements.
Eddie Jordan said, “I’m very pleased that we have been able to offer this unexpected opportunity to Robert Doornbos. He has shown very impressive form this season with Arden International, holding his own against a dominant team-mate. Winning at Spa is a great achievement because it is a true ‘drivers’ track and we are looking forward to having Doornbos on board with Jordan for his F1 debut.”
Robert Doornbos said, “The F3000 season only just ended in Monza and it’s been an amazing season for me – in my first year in F3000 I won a race and got on the podium a few times. To get this chance with Jordan is fantastic and although it’s late in the day and at circuits I have never visited, I’m grabbing the opportunity with both hands and looking forward to my first F1 drive. I would like to thank my sponsors Muermans Group and Burgfonds for helping me to make this possible.”
Jordan to test at Silverstone
Testing Schedule and
Results Page
Jordan Ford will conclude their 2004 season testing this week at the Silverstone circuit in Great Britain. The one day test will help the team prepare the EJ14 for the penultimate round of the 2004 season at Japan in a fortnight's time. Timo Glock will be behind the wheel of the car at the test session.
Italian GP Review
Qualifying
An eventful day for Jordan Ford resulted in Nick Heidfeld and Derek Matkovic qualifying for tomorrow's Italian Grand Prix in 17th and 18t positions.
Nick Heidfeld: EJ14/01
"Obviously it was a disappointing day for me although I pushed very hard
and I am not that far away from our direct competition. I was not able to do a quick lap in pre-qualifying as I had a
gearbox problem and we were not able to rectify it before qualifying so we chose
to jump in the spare car. In the circumstances, I was quite happy with the lap."
Derek Matkovic: EJ14/02
"I did the best I could and nothing more I can say, no excuses
the car was good I put in lap that I thought was good enough and on the timing
screen it proved not to be. Simple as that."
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"Nick had a gear selection problem with his car in pre-qualifying which we
were not able to fix before qualifying but he did a very good job in the second
session. Derek was strong all weekend so it was obviously disappointing for all
to him not able to improve from his first session performance when it mattered."
Race
Nick Heidfeld and Derek Matkovic finished in 11th and 12th places respectively in today's Italian Grand Prix. In a race marred my some big accidents involving many of the front runners it was a good result for the team despite not being able to capitalise and open the points tally for the 2004 season. Michael Schumacher won the race and in the process won his 6th Drivers World Championship in front of his home crowd.
Nick Heidfeld:
"I am relatively happy with what we
achieved, as I think we managed to get the maximum from our resources. We had a one-stop strategy which
worked out, although it wasn't easy with a heavy fuel load and having to really
look after the tyres. While I would always be happier with a better position, I
think we did everything we possibly could have so I'm satisfied with our
efforts."
Derek Matkovic:
"The race was one that I probably
should have done better with. Again I simply made mistakes at crucial times
though my penalty did not help me it left me too much to do to regain the lost
ground to Nick Heidfeld and trying to get the gap down I crashed. I know there
is speculation in the press that I won't be in the last two races if that does
happen all I have to say to the team is that I gave it 100% in every race I did
for them including this one and whilst it may have looked like I was struggling
out there at times I can assure the team everything I did was what I thought was
right even though it didn't always turn out that way. To Eddie Jordan thank you
for letting me drive hopefully I will be there for the last two if not good luck
for next season."
Eddie Jordan:
"It was an exciting race which is good
for the sport's fans. Well done Michael for winning his 6th World Championship
in front of the tifosi. Congratulations to Ferrari they have done a super job in
2004 and have of Jordan's congratulations. Congratulations to Jason as well for
securing his first ever podium, I am sure there will be plenty more. As for us,
we put a huge effort into this weekend, for very little return and in very
difficult circumstances so I want to thank everyone in the team for their
commitment and hard work. We've no points to show for it but that has no
reflection on the ability and dedication that everyone contributes."
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"Congratulations to Michael for an
amazing achievement and a very memorable win. At Jordan we have a busy week
to focus on with Timo testing at Silverstone and the team preparing and packing
up our cars and equipment for the Japanese Grand Prix, which we are very excited
about."
Testing Update
Testing Schedule and
Results Page
Day 1
Nick Heidfeld began Jordan Ford's three day test at
Monza yesterday (Wednesday), beginning some on-track preparation for the Italian
Grand Prix next weekend as well as some development work for the forthcoming
races. Despite damp patches on the track, weather conditions remained dry
throughout the day and the team was able to carry out its itinerary of testing
which included extensive work on Bridgestone's tyre test programme and some
brake material evaluation in addition to general set-up work. Nick completed 77
laps of the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza and today (Thursday) Timo Glock
continues the programme.
Day 2
Jordan Ford was testing at Monza for a second day
yesterday (Thursday) with Timo Glock at the wheel on the EJ14. The young German
completed 85 laps of the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza as he worked with the team
to progress the week's test programme. This is the first first session since
the F1 summer test ban ended as Nick Heidfeld completes the test today (Friday).
Day 3
Jordan Ford concluded its three-day test session today
(Friday) with Nick Heidfeld completing 77 laps of the the Autodromo Nazionale di
Monza in advance of next week's Italian Grand Prix at the same circuit. The
team is satisfied with a relatively trouble-free test mileage of almost 1500km
of extensive Bridgestone tyre evaluation for the Italian Grand Prix and various
other development work.
Italian GP Preview
Jordan Ford goes to the Italian Grand Prix straight from a three-day test at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza. The team carried out almost 1500km of testing, with extensive work on Bridgestone's tyre test programme and some preparation work for next year's EJ15. Regular driver Nick Heidfeld and test driver Timo Glock where present at the test.
Nick Heifeld:
"It was good to get back into testing again as we test less than other teams
so our days are really important. We have got some good information in
preparation for the race and we were able to test quite a few things but as is
always the way, you want a bit more time to get deeper into evaluating things.
Monza is a special circuit because it's high speed and offers good overtaking
opportunities. It has a lot of history and tradition and really stands out
compared to other tracks. For us it's going to be a challenge but with the test
last week we have a slight head start compared to other races."
Derek Matkovic:
The Monza circuit was created in 1950 and held it's first GP on the third of September 1950.Spectator capacity is 115000 and the track length is 5.793km.Race distance is 53 laps or 306.730km.Of course this is all fine but the thing that gives Monza it's attractiveness is the speed that the cars reach here and the top speed of the fastest cars should be close to 370kph before breaking for the first chicane which is an impressive number indeed. Downforce will be set to low for pretty much everybody as speed is the key here and since that is the case, mechanical grip is going to have to play a greater part so getting the tyres to work well is important. The brakes also cop a bit of a pounding here but oddly still not as much as in a place like Montreal even though the speeds are higher so brakes should not be a major problem I hope. As for what Jordan's fortunes will be at Monza, well to be realistic we will probably be outgunned a bit in the speed department, but our strength is in our reliability and if some of the cars in front falter we will be there to pounce. Points are certainly possible if this happens and myself, Nick and the whole team are certainly optimistic of a good showing."
Timo Glock:
"It was a fairly good test at Monza although I would have liked a bit more
time. I did a test here with Porsche at the beginning of the year, but I
discovered it's totally different in F1. It looks like an easy circuit but it's
very difficult in F1 because you have really low downforce. I spent a lot of
time discussing it with the engineers and ideally I need a long run there to get
into the rhythm but that wasn't part of our test programme. At least I have a
bit of a head start for the Grand Prix weekend as I know where I need to
improve."
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"The test at Monza last week was good because we were able to get all two of
our drivers in the car and that was useful especially for Timo who has never
been there in single seaters. He has learned a new circuit which will hopefully
stand us in good stead for the race weekend. Our programme focused on a number
of areas with effort targeted on evaluating tyres with Bridgestone for the
Italian Grand Prix, which is excellent as it means we can make a late call on
the tyre we need for the race. Our other work has been looking at development
areas for the 2005 car and we completed a trouble-free 500km a day so all in all
a productive test. For the race, the aero package is exclusive to Monza. Running
with low downforce settings require different techniques and set-ups. All the
drivers know the circuit now which is also an advantage."
Message from Bahrain at Monza
At the Italian Grand Prix, the latest in Bahrain’s campaign of messages is “Drugs Don’t Win”. San Patrignano (based near Rimini, Italy) is a therapeutic community for drug addicts and is Europe’s largest drug rehabilitation facility. Since its founding in 1978 by the late Vincenzo Muccioli, it has opened its doors to over 18,000 young men and women. In the twenty six years since its inception, the community’s mission has been to welcome drug addicts in need of a recovery program regardless of social standing, and political or religious orientation. The community offers its services completely free of charge to its guests, and does not accept donations from guests’ families. It receives no public funds. Andrea Muccioli, chairman of the community, said, “Formula 1 racing is a sport with many young people among its millions of fans. The decision made by Jordan and Prince Salman of Bahrain will help us further spread a strong message against drug abuse throughout the world. We wish to thank them with all our hearts”.
Jordan to test at Monza
Testing Schedule and
Results Page
Jordan Ford resumes its test programme this week in Monza in preparation for the forthcoming Italian Grand Prix and final few races of the 2004 season. A Formula One test ban has been in force since the German Grand Prix so this important test gives all the teams their first chance in five or six weeks to continue test development programmes.
Jordan has one car in action at the Italian track for three days with the team's drivers each spending a day at the wheel working on the team's testing agenda. Timo Glock is due to begin the test on Wednesday with Nick Heidfeld taking over on Thursday before Glock will conclude the test before the team arrives next week to set up and prepare for the Italian Grand Prix at the same circuit.
Belgian GP Review
Qualifying
Persistent rain spells shaped the day's events at Spa-Francorchamps as teams experienced extremely limited track time this morning: unsuitable weather conditions caused the first session to be abandoned half way through in which both Nick Heidfeld and Derek Matkovic did not get the chance to venture out onto the circuit. In the final session, Heidfeld qualified 15th for tomorrow's starting grid while Matkovic finished in 19th position.
Nick Heidfeld: EJ14/03
"I'm not satisfied. Relatively speaking, the car looked really strong this
morning and we were not too far off the top ten and even then I knew that there
was still room to improve further. Then in qualifying I lost grip and had a very loose rear end. But that happens:
obviously, it's difficult for everyone to judge the conditions with so little
track time in free practice. But still we have the race ahead of us and I'm
looking forward to that."
Derek Matkovic: EJ14/02
"A pretty poor effort by me. I didn't really do anything out there today
which remotely looked like a qualifying lap. What can I say, not a very good
effort but I feel the car is in reasonable shape for the race and I am hoping
that the race won't be a reflection of my qualifying performance."
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"In race trim in the morning we ran solidly and the Bridgestone tyres worked
well. This afternoon we had a good weather forecast that said it would rain
later in the session so we were hopeful of getting the best of the track
conditions within the first 30 minutes of qualifying. We didn't get a chance to
run in the first qualifying session so we where unprepared to what to expect the
conditions to be like for the second session."
Race
A characteristically excitement-filled and action-packed Belgian Grand Prix netted Jordan another double finish with drivers Nick Heidfeld and Derek Matkovic finishing in 13th and 14th places respectively. Both drivers made poor starts away from the grid and in the early runnings both Jordan cars where at the tail of the field. Fighting performances from both drivers saw them work their way past the Minardi's and eventually claim another double finish in 13th and 14th places respectively.
Nick Heidfeld:
"My start was very poor and I lost my advantage of a reasonable
qualifying position (15th) and was behind Derek on the opening lap. I sized up
my opportunity to take Derek in which I did on lap 7. I knew I had superior
speed than him but he managed to get past me again during the first pitstop when
the team where forced to remove a barge board which was damaged when I hit some
carnage during the opening laps. I than managed to retake him again and
concentrate on my own race which was fairly lonely as I was unable to keep with
the runners in front of me. I than pushed to the finish hoping for some
breakdowns or accidents and 13th position in the grand scheme isn't to bad a
result."
Derek Matkovic:
"The race was a bit like qualifying for me. I was expecting a better
performance but all I got was crap. The car set-up was a little to conservative
as the speed certainly was not there today. I was really struggling to stay
ahead of the Minardi pair today which has been a problem for us recently. Apart
from all that it was rather a dull race I just couldn't keep up with Nick
Heidfeld whom just blew the crap out of me today. The end of this season is
starting to fizz for me and I have to admit that I have been putting in some
drab performances in the races and this today certainly was not needed. None the
less I have another race in Italy and you have to try and fix any of the
problems that you encountered from the previous race. On the upside we both
finished today admittedly with Nick half a minute up the road in front of me,
but the main thing we finished."
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"Once again Spa gave us a great race; it's unfortunate that we were not in
the frame. The accidents and subsequent damage we suffered with both cars meant
we were spectators to the day."
Belgian GP Preview
Jordan has scored more points at Spa than at any other F1 circuit and some of the team's most memorable results were achieved here. In 1998 Damon Hill and Ralf Schumacher accomplished their celebrated 1-2 maiden victory; Giancarlo Fisichella was on the podium with second in 1997; and the team achieved its first pole position with Rubens Barrichello in 1994. Jordan has had a points finish in five out of the last six Belgian Grands Prix and after scoring double points in Canada, the only similar `medium downforce set-up' track this year, Jordan is hopeful that the return to Spa-Francorchamps in 2004 will be rewarding.
Eddie Jordan, Chief Executive:
"It's superb to be going to Spa for the Belgian Grand Prix. It looks likely
that Michael Schumacher will win his sixth Drivers' Championship here which, if
it happens, will be fitting as he had his F1 debut at this track with us
thirteen years ago, and he won his first Grand Prix here the following year.
This is a real "drivers" track which sorts the men from the boys and requires
total commitment and confidence. We have great memories of this venue as a team,
but this year we have to focus on our current challenge. We have made progress
with our package during the season and will work as hard as we can to make the
most of the last few races. Our team-work has paid off before and I'm hoping
that with hard work and a little bit of Spa luck, we will get a decent result."
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"It's fantastic to be back at this circuit and one of the only remaining high
speed, high `g', `on the edge' tracks. The weather is both a trial and an
opportunity it can change at any time from dry to wet and if you can benefit if
you are ready. The race promises to be exciting - we expect overtaking and we
expect to see the weather play a part. The bus stop section has been modified
and we have heard reports from those who have raced there already that the
change has removed an overtaking opportunity but we will have to wait and see if
that is the case with F1 hopefully not. We return to a medium downforce set-up,
which we have not used since Canada, where we were more competitive. Spa can be
a little bit about luck, with the weather and if anything unusual happens, but
at Jordan we have historically been good at strategy calls so we are looking
forward to the challenge."
Nick Heidfeld:
"Racing at Spa is great for me and all the drivers because it is one of my
favourite circuits. I enjoy driving there and I also like it that the weather is
usually changeable as it makes the show better and interesting. You never know
what's going to happen when you arrive in Spa."
Derek Matkovic:
"Well we are into the last four rounds of
the season now and these final four races are being held on what could arguably
be four of the best known tracks in GP racing outside of Monaco, these being Spa
Francorchamps the topic of today's preveiw, Monza.Suzuka and Interlagos in
Brazil. But to those later. Today we concentrate on Spa, the home of the Belgium
GP and round thirteen of the world drivers championship. This track goes all the
way back to the inaugural year of the championship and has had many great
drivers, cars and teams run the undulating ribbon of asphalt that makes this
track so unique in the GP world. With Spa having played host to so many races
over the years of course memorable moments would be plentiful and three stand
out for me. The first being the 1991 race when an unknown German driver named
Michael Schumacher driving for Jordan qualified seventh on the grid in his first
GP and heralded the arrival of a new superstar. The second was the 1998 race
when Schumacher leading in a Ferrari in pretty poor conditions crashed into the
back of David Coulthard in the Mclaren with Schumacher chasing him into the pits
and accusing him of trying to kill him and the third happened in the same race
when The Jordan team scored their first ever win and not only that second as
well with Damon Hill winning and Ralf Schumacher second.
The Spa Francorchamps circuit is the longest on the calendar with a total length
of 6.973km and a total race distance of 44 laps or 306.812km.This is a circuit
that requires a low downforce setting to be run though some teams may try to run
a more medium setting if they have the engines to do it so expect this from
Ferrari and Williams and maybe BAR as these are the teams with the most powerful
engines but in the end it is an individual decision of driver and team. Spa is
also famous for it's changeable weather as this is a place were it can be dry on
one side and wet on the other, there is not much you can do to the car to make
it drivable in these conditions if they occur so you just throw it in as yet
another variable at this unique place. As for Jordan's chances at Spa, well I
think we will go ok. The car in Hungary was quite quick as we were keeping up
quite easily with the Toyota's and Jaguar's and I can't see why we can't do that
again here, our reliability is very good and this circuit can break cars so if
we stay in the race I think myself and Nick have a better than even chance of
posting a very good result and dare I say it maybe even score that elusive first
point of the season."
MESSAGE FROM BAHRAIN
Child Focus is a Belgian-based charity providing active support in the investigation of the disappearance, abduction or exploitation of children and works to prevent and combat these incidents. Founded in 1998 at the initiative of Jean-Denis Lejeune following an extremely high profile multiple child murder case which included Lejeune's daughter Julie among the victims, Child Focus has achieved remarkable results dealing with nearly 3000 cases involving more than 3300 children, 85% of which were closed within a year. With the charity recognised as a public service and the Queen of Belgium as Honorary President, worldwide exposure through Jordan's campaign with Bahrain is intended to raise awareness for Child Focus and its work with international missing children organisations.
Hungarian GP Review
Qualifying
Derek Matkovic and Nick Heidfeld took 15th and 18th for Jordan Ford today in the starting grid for tomorrow's Hungarian Grand Prix. Both drivers had reported better handling with a good car set-up in free practice sessions yesterday and this morning however they experienced unforeseen balance changes during their qualifying laps.
Nick Heidfeld: EJ14/03
"I was very happy with pre-qualifying but experienced a lot of oversteer and
a nervous car in qualifying itself. Under those circumstances it was difficult
to get more out of it. I didn't expect so much difference between the two
sessions and I'm not sure what the reason is as overall this weekend we have
been looking better than expected. It may be that this particular track suits
our package, but I hope we can continue the trend tomorrow and in the next few
races."
Derek Matkovic: EJ14/02
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"Congratulations to Bridgestone for producing an excellent tyre which has
allowed them to take pole position. They have been working very hard on tyre
development, which has obviously paid off for them today with a great result
compared to twelve months ago at this event. Unfortunately neither of our
drivers had the balance they were expecting when they were out there this
afternoon and so we were not able to meet the challenge, but Derek did a very
good job and was rewarded with his pace."
Race
Nick Heidfeld and Derek Matkovic finished 13th and 15th places respectively for Jordan Ford at the Hungaroring today after getting a good start and racing closely with the Toyotas and Jaguars throughout his three-stop race.
Nick Heidfeld:
"All in all a relatively positive weekend. I had a quite a good race,
although not finishing in the points. I had a good start, gaining a couple of
positions, and we made some small adjustments during the pit stops to help the
balance of the car which improved it, especially for the last stint. The only
problem throughout the race for me was in the second pit stop when the car fell
off the front jack. I lost some time but I don't think it affected my finishing
position."
Derek Matkovic:
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"Bridgestone have done a fantastic job. Congratulations to them, and Rubens
Barrichello for a great victory."
Albers test postponed
Jordan Ford has agreed to postpone Christian Albers's test
with the team in September at Silverstone, in order for him to concentrate fully
on the DTM championship.
The Dutch driver, currently second in the German touring car series, just nine
points behind leader Mattias Ekstrom said “I am very enthusiastic about the test
session at Jordan and appreciate their flexibility. After this DTM season I will
be well prepared for the test and I want to show the team that I belong in
Formula One. This is my ultimate aim and I hope to drive for one of the top
teams.”
Jordan plans to reschedule Albers's test for the first opportunity after the DTM
season finishes and the F1 test ban ends with a date in December at Jerez a
likely possibility. The driver for Jordan Ford's Silverstone test on 14
September will be confirmed in due course.
Hungarian GP Preview
"The three-week gap between these two races - which is intended to give everyone working in Formula One time for a break - seems to have been dominated by driver movement issues. However it is my hope that all the team principals can meet, putting aside our individual positions, to come up with a set of rules and regulations for 2005, in the interest of common sense, clarity and certainty. There would be nothing worse than failing to do that and having a set of regulations imposed on us in October, when, as everyone understands, it's too late. At least if we agree something now, we know where we are. In the meantime, at Jordan, travelling team members have had a short rest, and we have been extremely busy planning the next stage of the team's climb back up the grid." Eddie Jordan.
Nick Heidfeld:
"My holiday time was spent at home in Switzerland which was very nice because
of all the travel we do during the season. The weather was really good and I
enjoyed doing a lot of training outdoors. Now I'm definitely looking forward to
getting back into the car after a relatively long time away from racing. I'm
excited about going to Hungary as it's a circuit I enjoy very much, it's quite a
tight track and very technical - a little bit like Monaco but obviously without
the city mixed in with the circuit itself. It's a Grand Prix venue with good
feelings for me because I won my F3000 title here in 1999 and also I like the
city very much, so I'm looking forward to the whole event."
Derek Matkovic:
The Hungaroring was finished in 1986 and held it's first GP on the August ten of that same year. The track length is about 4.3km and the race length is 70 laps or 306.663km,many people call this track Monaco without the walls and it is easy to see why with both circuits having the same twisty thus hard to pass characteristics. Also another thing that Hungaroring has is it's extreme lack of grip for the first day as you have to remember this place does not see a great deal of racing on it between GP's so it is very dusty initially. The down-force settings we will use here as I will expect everybody will use will be the maximum we can use and as for tyres well usually there is not a big wear problem here and I know that Bridgestone have been working hard on getting their tyres set specifically for this place, so it should not be a problem. As for what the Jordan team's fortunes will be in Hungary, well, I think this place will suit us, certainly more than Hockenhiem did anyway as power is not so important here and the handling and balance of the car is pretty good. So knowing that this track can produce surprises, maybe it will be Hungary that either myself Nick or hopefully both of us will break our duck's and score the teams first points of the season."
Timo Glock:
"It has been relaxing to spend time at home during the last couple of weeks
and I have enjoyed seeing some friends and family. I also concentrated on my
fitness training and having a normal life for a short while! The time between
races at this point in the season gives you a chance to reflect and evaluate how
things are going. I think the first 12 races have been quite good and overall
I'm pleased with my performances, which have been quite consistent with not too
many mistakes. I have learnt a lot of F1 circuits, and the processes of working
with the team and engineers. For the rest of the season I will be pushing harder
to help the team with its free practice programme and also for me, to get good
results in preparation for next year when I aim to get a race drive. I'm looking
forward to learning the Hungaroring. I have never been there although I have
been on holiday in Budapest before. I have been looking closely at the circuit
on TV footage: it looks quite small with a lot of corners, and I think it will
be very important to find a good tyre for the race distance."
Jordan's message from Bahrain for Hungary
At the Hungarian Grand Prix, Jordan's Message from Bahrain is one of environmental preservation. The Hungarian government has been working to preserve Lake Balaton, one of Hungary's natural treasures and a unique ecological asset of the Central European region.
With a surface area of 594 km square, the lake is the largest freshwater body in Central Europe however it has been losing volume at an alarming rate due to the effects of rising surface temperatures, attributed to global warming, on its extremely shallow average depth of 3.2m.
Continued efforts in environmental protection and nature conservation have preserved a rich diversity of flora and fauna species and although the area is a highly-frequented international tourist destination, the Hungarian government has founded a preservation area - the Lake Balaton Highlands National Park - which helps to balance the demands of agriculture, tourism and ecological sustainability.
Jordan and Bahrain are supporting this local 'Stop Global Warming' initiative as part of the worldwide message from Bahrain' series with the motif of a flaming globe, an international symbol used to highlight ecological damage caused by global warming and its effects.
German GP Review
Qualifying
Nick Heidfeld and Derek Matkovic qualified 16th and 17th for the German Grand Prix. Heidfeld missed most of morning free practice after he hit a bollard early in the first session which damaged the front wing and sent him careering into the tyre barriers. With the car badly damaged and insufficient time for the car to be repaired before practice ended, Heidfeld and his engineers were forced to make set-up choices based on existing data.
Nick Heidfeld: EJ14/03
"I'm happy with my lap, and qualifying was better than pre-qualifying. We had
a bit of front tyre graining towards the end of the lap but it wasn't a big
issue. I think I am in fairly good shape for the race tomorrow. The work we did
this morning showed that on long runs our tyres have promising performance with
no major degradation."
Derek Matkovic: EJ14/02
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"We saw good laps from both drivers and especially Nick, given the problems
he had after a small `off' this morning and the consequent loss of running in
free practice. Well done to the boys for getting his car back together. Before
qualifying we detected a small clutch problem with Derek's car and the mechanics
worked very hard to rectify that before he went out. It was a busy day for
Jordan Ford but it went smoothly when it mattered."
Race
Jordan Ford drivers Derek Matkovic and Nick Heidfeld contended with car handling and tyre problems in today's German Grand Prix, Matkovic eventually finished the race in 14th position and was relatively satisfied with the Jordan Ford EJ14 package. Heidfeld retired from his home grand prix with a transmission problem and was well placed in the 45 lap event before his retirement. The Jordan team will investigate the failure prior to the Hungarian GP to ensure a repeat is not on the cards.
Nick Heidfeld:
"It was tough today. I started to have balance problems with the car quite
early on and we where running quite a lot of fuel compared to our rivals and it
made me a sitting duck to be overtaken on the long straights. When I pitted for
my stop the mechanics had a look at the tyres and the suspension but they didn't
find anything so I went out again on different tyres. The car improved a lot and
at times I was able to match the two-stop strategies of my direct competitors
before a transmission problem forced me to retire."
Derek Matkovic:
"Not much to report
on this one I am afraid and to be honest it was a rather dull one for me
especially after Nick retired with what I was told was a gearbox failure as he
was the only one that I could effectively race this afternoon as everyone
else was really in a league of their own compared to us. An example of this was
when I was trying to catch the Jaguar of Klien and he was half to one second
faster than me per lap. I don't really know why we did not have enough pace but
hopefully Hungary will bring us better fortune. I am confident it will."
James Robinson, Head of race and
test engineering:
"It was an exciting race and good to see some overtaking. We ran two
different strategies and unfortunately for Nick he was forced to retire with a
transmission problem mid away through the race. His speed and performance was
very strong so it was a bitter disappointment for him in his home Grand Prix.
Derek was on a two-stop race and found it really hard-going but he delivered a gutsy
performance to finish in 14th position."
Eddie Jordan:
"It was a tough day for our drivers, twelve races into a demanding season for
us and F1 in general. The three week gap between this race and the next one in
Hungary gives the team time to closely examine our situation and see how we can
progress and it also offers the opportunity for most to have a few days of much
needed rest. We are looking forward to returning in Budapest, revitalised and
ready to keep fighting our way forward."
A much needed break
After several 'back to back' races the F1
teams are taking advantage of the August testing ban and a three week gap
between the German and Hungarian Grand Prix. For many people involved in the
sport this period offers the only opportunity to take some much needed
holiday, though it is not all R&R for Jordan's staff. As well as preparing the
cars for the next race, work continues at the teams wind tunnel to develop the
EJ14 and help fight for points in the coming championship rounds.
German GP Preview
The German Grand Prix is home race for Jordan Ford drivers Nick Heidfeld and Timo Glock and in addition to Heidfeld's best F1 finish at this circuit - a points-scoring 6th place, the team's former German driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen was on the podium in Hockenheim with 3rd place in 1999. Eddie Jordan is also proud to have introduced both Schumacher brothers to Formula One, providing their first ever F1 drives: Spa '91 for Michael and Melbourne '97 for Ralf. Jordan has been finalising preparations for the 2004 German Grand Prix with a last test session before F1's summer testing ban. The team remained at its home track of Silverstone after the British Grand Prix and tested for three days (13 to 15 July) with Nick Heidfeld and Derek Matkovic sharing the driving and adding over 1000km to the EJ14's test mileage.
Nick Heidfeld:
"I am looking forward to Hockenheim as it is one of my home races, following
Silverstone which was almost like a home Grand Prix. The atmosphere at
Hockenheim is probably the best in the world especially for the spectators,
being in the stadium section. You feel that as a driver too and I hope there
will be a lot of supporters for the German drivers, including me. At Silverstone
we had a positive test and tried something new on the mechanical side which
found us a good margin of lap time so hopefully that will help us in Hockenheim."
Derek Matkovic:
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"Hockenheim is not the track it once was -- gone are the beautiful long
straights and a tighter track replaces them, requiring a higher level of
downforce than the old long circuit. In some respects it's removed some of the
interest of the track, as it was one of the very different circuits in the
calendar but now it tends to blend into the others. It can be a very hot race
and it would be a tough situation for the tyres and the drivers if we see
temperatures like last year again. We have the engine upgrade that we had in
Silverstone and possibly a couple of things we tried at the test following the
Grand Prix."
46664 is new Message from Bahrain
Jordan's Message from Bahrain at this Grand Prix will be the emblem of the charity 46664. This was Nelson Mandela's prison number during his 18 years of incarceration in Robben Island prison and upon his release and subsequent election as the President of South Africa, Mandela gave the number to rock-star Dave Stewart of Eurythmics to initiate a series of music recordings and concerts for charitable fundraising for the fight of AIDS in South Africa.
Albers to test for Jordan
Jordan Ford is pleased to confirm that DTM championship leader Dutchman Christian Albers will test for the team at Silverstone after the Italian GP later in the year.
British GP Review
Qualifying
The rain showers that threatened the track in qualifying did not materialise during the session so with the exception of pole position, a quite typical 2004 grid was formed with Derek Matkovic and Nick Heidfeld lining up in 16th and 17th positions. Notably it was the first time this season that Matkovic had out-qualified his team-mate Nick Heidfeld.
Nick Heidfeld: EJ14/03
"I'm not really satisfied with my lap: I got some graining on the tyres
towards the end and therefore missed the apex on one of the corners, losing
quite a bit of lap time. Our forecast said there was a high chance of rain
during qualifying and I was hoping it would, as I went out early in the
session. We are in good shape, definitely better than Magny Cours. We did a
long run yesterday and a few weeks ago we tested and sorted out our tyres.
We are better prepared and happier with the tyre choice."
Derek Matkovic: EJ14/02
"After ten attempts we finally got one. I have to say the car has been pretty
good most of the weekend and I had a good idea I would finally notch one up
today (out-qualify Nick Heidfeld) the lap was good as I was ever going to do and
not much more to say. A good fast lap ad good to have one finally on the board."
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"It was an exciting qualifying session with the threat of rain looming
throughout. In the first session we chose to cover all options with our
strategy - one car going at the beginning and one at the end to include the
possibilities of rain showers arriving either early or late and maybe with
the track drying out towards the end. As it panned out, it stayed dry and we
are in positions 16 and 17th. We had no problems except the high cross winds in the session and
it was just about watching the skies and seeing if and when the rain would
come."
Race
A tough British Grand Prix for Jordan Ford afforded Derek Matkovic 16th position in the Silverstone-based team's home race. Matkovic was cruelly denied 15th position on the final lap when the Jaguar of Christian Klien managed to take the position after Matkovic attempted an overtaking manoeuvre on the Toyota of Christano Da Matta. Unfortunately for team-mate Nickfied he retired with an engine related problem mid distance.
Nick Heidfeld:
"I made a good start and managed to get past the Toyota of Da Matta
early on and retain my lead. Even after the first round of stops I was able to
stay ahead and infact increase my lead over him comfortably. The beginning was
not easy as I had quite a lot of fuel on board which I think was evident as I
was one of the last cars to stop. Overall it paid off in terms of our race time
but our problem is that we are just too slow not before I experienced an engine
problem which ended my race."
Derek Matkovic: EJ14/02
"The race was as good as it was
ever going to get. Nick jumped me at the start and got ahead of Da Matta as well
I tried but couldn't follow him through effectively my race pace was dedicated
by what Da Matta was doing in the front. I was hoping to jump him in the pit
stops but we couldn't quite get out fast enough and that is how it stayed for
the race. When Nick retired I asked the team what the problem was and they said
continue to push the car after my second stop was very good and I could do
1m22's unlike the first set which I could every so often. I than caught Da Matta
really fast who had dropped a second a lap of this times and I kept getting
reports that Klien was catching which I knew because Da Matta was going slowly.
I thought bugger it I would have a got at him, unfortunately at my efforts to
have a go at Da Matta, Klien got through I guess when you are fighting for 15th
isn't doesn't really matter so much and I am here to race and I had a go and it
didn't quite work out. Neither the less we finished and we challenged the
Toyota's today and beat home Panis hopefully in Germany we can go a little
better there but being a power circuit we could be up against it as well but you
never know but I am happy with my weekend here."
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"Both drivers got good starts, although Derek got squeezed out at the
first corner and then it was just a hard race from there. We were on a
two-stop strategy based on the strength of the Bridgestone tyre. It's a shame that
Nick retired with a mechanical problem as we was driving very nicely and looked
set for a very competitive finish. It was also pleasing to see Derek finish the
race albeit down in 16th position after he made a mistake letting Christian
Klien to claim his position on the final lap after battling Da Matta for the
entire race. From our point of view, at the end of the day the car's not quick
enough to compete for point-scoring places and we need to work on that."
F1 experience for fans
Jordan made use of its proximity to Silverstone this weekend to put on entertainment for fans visiting the Grand Prix, after an immensely popular “Jordan Village” debut last year was visited by up to 800 fans a day. The 2004 “Jordan Experience” is a village of marquees housing an array of activities including: Jordan F1 simulators and games, on site bar and food, a prize draw for VIP Test day passes, drivers overalls, original car parts and autographed items, official team memorabilia for sale, live music, F1 pit stop challenge games, an EJ14 race car on display and for those without Grand Prix tickets, a giant screen showing qualifying and the race. Eddie Jordan and all three drivers made appearances to meet fans and sign autographs throughout the weekend
Jordan to test at Silverstone
Testing Schedule and
Results Page
The Jordan Ford team has announced they are scheduled to test at the Silverstone circuit for three days prior to the start of the summer testing ban. Both race drivers Nick Heidfeld and Derek Matkovic will stay at Silverstone after the weekend's British GP. The team will be evaluating some new suspension components and some Bridegstone tyre development.
British GP Preview
Nick Heidfeld:
"I am looking forward to Silverstone as it's like a home Grand Prix for me
and especially for the team as it's just across the road from the factory. I
always enjoy coming to England and doing the Grand Prix here because the
spectators here are really great, they seem to have good knowledge about the
sport and cheer everybody on. I like the circuit as it's one of the few circuits
with very high speed corners, especially Becketts. Through there it's very
challenging so I'm looking forward to that and I hope it will suit our race car.
We test here more than at other circuits which may help us find a good set-up."
Derek Matkovic:
The Silverstone circuit came into being in 1950 and held it's first GP on the thirteenth of May 1950 and has gone on to hold 37 GP's since .The track length is 5.141km and the race distance is is 60 laps or 308.355 km with a top speed of around about 335 kph. The down force settings we will use here are of a medium setting and getting this right is very important at a place like Silverstone as there is quite a variation in corner speeds which take you from flat out corners like the amazing Becketts/Chapel sweeps down to the very slow Brooklands/Luffield corners that bring you back onto the start finish straight, so getting your car spot on early around there is vitally important so you do not waste track time chasing a car. Tyre wear at Siverstone is not to big a worry so I do not envisage any dramatic problems on that front and as this is our home base the Jordan team has a awful lot of data and experience on the place so if we are going to do well anyware, Silverstone is going to be the place and I am confident that we are going to put in our best performance of the season here and that this time either myself or Nick or hopefully both of us will score the teams first points of the season. The team are pumped up for it and as I said I am looking forward to it, so roll on Britain."
Timo Glock:
"Silverstone circuit is so close to the Jordan factory that we could almost
drive the cars straight out of the doors and over to the track! Giorgio and I
went to the London parade this week and we had a really good time, the British
fans are great. I know the circuit here as we have done good tests at
Silverstone both in the wet and the dry so this weekend we can get straight into
the programme. If it rains and we have a crazy race Nick and Giorgio have the
chance for really good results. It will also be fun for me because the team does
so many activities here this weekend and I have time on Saturday and Sunday to
visit the Jordan fan village at the factory. Knowing the team, once I've
finished my driving duties they'll probably get me working behind the bar or
something!"
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"It's great to be back at our home Grand Prix and it's a track that we test
at quite regularly. It's a high speed, high grip circuit. We have been working
with Bridgestone over the last few months to develop a tyre for the track and we
are very happy with the decision on tyres for this weekend. The forecast is for
typical English weather, very changeable over the weekend with some rain around
so hopefully we can show what the Bridgestone wet tyres can do as well. Off the
back of the very successful London parade we took part in this week, we are
excited about motorsport in Britain and entertaining the fans with a good race.
We get great support from the home crowd and it's also great that our factory
and testing staff, who work very hard without experiencing the excitement of
racing the cars, get the chance to see their cars close-up and driven in anger
at this Grand Prix."
Eddie Jordan, Chief Executive:
"This is the thirtieth year in a row that I have been to the British Grand
Prix, as a fan, a driver, or with a team, and it still excites me. It's great,
for a change, to be able to stay at home rather than everybody travelling away
to race and it's holiday time in Ireland so we get a lot of our fans over which
is just wonderful. It's also nice for local people here at Silverstone, who I
feel I've been a part of for a long time. Most importantly though, it's good to
welcome the Jordan staff and their families, who we are particularly proud about
as there is huge pressure on everyone working in F1 these days. This is a hard
week for those who are working but it's also fantastic fun. We are opening up a
whole campus of activity for fans in the grounds of our factory and I am
thinking of getting my drum kit out one evening when they've got a live band
on!"
French GP Review
Qualifying
Nick Heidfeld and Derek Matkovic qualified in 17th and 18th for tomorrow's French Grand Prix following a weekend of steady improvement with the car set-up. Both drivers where content with their qualifying laps. With the region's unpredictable weather conditions and Magny-Cours a favourite circuit for the two Jordan drivers, the team is hopeful of an exciting race.
Nick Heidfeld: EJ14/03
"We made good improvements with the car after yesterday's difficulties in
finding a proper balance due to the wet conditions. The car changed more than
expected between qualifying sessions and although it was better, a few small
adjustments we made didn't pay off as well as I thought. Still, I think the lap
itself was good."
Derek Matkovic: EJ14/02
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"We have improved the car throughout the weekend. Both
drivers are quite happy with the balance and we will have to see what unfolds in
the race tomorrow. The weather is looking changeable so we will see
how that fits in with the strategy we have planned."
Race
Nick Heidfeld and Derek Matkovic finished the French Grand Prix 17th and 18th in a race which saw total reliability from all teams. Jordan Ford executed its strategy with minor pit lane setbacks for both drivers; Matkovic encountered a small refuelling problem which however delayed his progress slightly and Heidfeld took the pit crew by surprise, coming in without warning a lap before his scheduled second stop.
Nick Heidfeld:
"It was not a good race for us today but it's easier to handle as there was
no chance for points anyway with all of the cars finishing. Overall the balance of the
car has been better at most other races so far. With new tyres the rears were
good for a few laps and then dropped off and I had a lot of graining on the
front. Added to that there was a lot of lapping and blue flags. A difficult
race."
Derek Matkovic:
"A little disappointing really,
the car was good but we did not seem to be able to challenge anybody and it felt
like we were racing on our own out there with no one around us. I made a decent
start and was chasing Nick quite hard and I was trying to bring the gap down to
him before my first stop which I was managing to do, I came in for my first stop
and we had a bit of a problem with the refuelling hose which delayed me a bit in
the pits, as such I came out about 9 seconds behind Nick, I then went about
trying to close the gap again, but I came out pretty much in the middle of the
leaders battle and in trying to do the right thing by them and let them through,
I lost a lot of time because some of them would not overtake me as quickly as I
wanted them to and that was that really Nick was away and I could not really
hope to catch him again, so it was just a case of bringing the car home which I
am happy to say we both did."
James Robinson, Head of race and
test engineering:
"This has been a weekend we would like to pass over and move on from. In
terms of reliability it was clearly good to get two cars to the end, but
performance-wise, from where we started on the grid we couldn't make much
impression and with no cars dropping out we couldn't move forward. We're
looking ahead to Silverstone, our home race, where we will be in a few days'
time and hopefully we will get a better result there."
French GP Preview
Jordan Ford approaches the French Grand Prix aiming for a return to the promising performances at the Nurburgring and Canada. Team personnel and cars have returned back to base in Silverstone, while the drivers have been home (Nick Heidfeld – Switzerland, Derek Matkovic – Australia, Timo Glock – Germany) after the two week stay in America to relax and continue training programmes. Timo Glock also spent two days aerodynamic testing with Jordan in Vairano. With the F1 track action moving to Europe and locations closer to home, development, turnaround and transportation of equipment and parts is comparatively straightforward and Jordan is hoping for robust results at the French Grand Prix and the British round of the Championship the following weekend.
NICK HEIDFELD
"I like the Magny Cours circuit quite a lot, probably more than many drivers
who say it’s a modern and boring processional track. I really enjoy it,
especially the two quick chicanes. It was disappointing for me not to finish
the last race because there was a good chance to score points and I’m hoping for
a better result at this race.”
DEREK MATKOVIC
"Here we go again into another
round of the FIA World Drivers Championship. The track Magny Cours host of the
French formula one Grand Prix. This is not a track that really conjures up any
really great memories for me as pretty much most of the races that have been
held here have been reasonably processional affairs in my opinion anyway. The
one thing that does spring to mind though occurred at I think it was the 2000
French GP when David Coulthard gave the finger or flipped the bird as the
Americans would say to Michael Schumacher whilst fighting for the lead of the
race. The funny thing was that Schumacher probably did not even know he did it
even though Coulthard apologised for it later. The circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours
was completed in 1991 and held it's first GP on the seventh of July 1991.The
circuit is 4.411km long and is seventy laps or 308.586km.Magny-Cours is a
circuit that I find can suck you in by looking easier and more straight forward
than it is, the tarmac here is very smooth and if your setup is not easy on the
tyres this smoothness can cause graining to occur pretty quickly and pretty much
blight your entire race, also getting the balance of your aerodynamics just
right quickly is of great importance at this track as it is made up of a lot of
constant radius corners so you want to get it so the car is as neutral as
possible, you don't want over or understeer here. Magny-Cours is not one of my
favourite circuits but I am hoping to bounce back after what was a very
disappointing US GP for me as such I know myself and the Jordan team will be
trying extra hard to getback to where we were at the Nurburgring round and I am
confident that the French GP will mark the resurgence of mine and the teams
fortunes for the rest of the season. Myself and Nick will be doing all we can to
get that elusive first point of the year at the French GP."
JAMES ROBINSON, HEAD OF RACE AND TEST
ENGINEERING
"We are looking forward to racing in Europe again which makes logistics a
little bit easier than long-haul locations. Magny Cours is certainly different
from the two cities we have just been to! It’s in a fantastic area of France
renowned for its excellent wine and we enjoy the variety of experience with each
of the places we visit. It has a different track characteristic from the races
in Canada and North America, with some quicker corners and I’m sure our drivers
are eagerly awaiting the challenge they present. We have had a useful test at
Vairano, working to extract the maximum from our current aerodynamic package and
collect data in preparation for the French Grand Prix. The asphalt type at Magny
Cours is quite unusual and a surface we don’t see at other tracks so we have
been working hard with Bridgestone to develop a tyre that will work there. There
is the tendency for inclement weather in this region of France with the odd
isolated shower so let’s hope they arrive on Sunday. The problem that occurred
with Nick’s suspension failure in Indianapolis has been understood and measures
have been taken to address it so we are confident it won’t happen again. We are
also hopeful of getting a new engine specification from Cosworth in the
forthcoming races."
EDDIE JORDAN - CHIEF EXECUTIVE
“I can’t go to Magny Cours without remembering the fantastic feeling of
winning there with Heinz-Harald Frentzen in 1999. We got that victory through a
combination of team-work, strategy, a good driver and a car that did the job. We
still have it in us to bring all those things to the party and while I might be
dreaming to talk about a win at this time, it would be great to see the hard
work of the guys at the factory being rewarded with a point or two.
Mansell to drive Jordan in London
Jordan Grand Prix is delighted to announce that 1992 F1 World Champion Nigel Mansell will drive a Jordan Ford EJ14 in the F1 Comes to Regent Street event. Days before the 2004 British Grand Prix, the fans' favourite British driver will be at the wheel of a Silverstone-based team's car, in an event which will bring the thrills of Formula One to the heart of the UK capital. Mansell had a top-secret seat fitting at the Jordan factory today and immediately afterwards carried out a familiarisation run at Silverstone circuit just across the road from the team's headquarters.
Mansell said, "It's great to be back in an F1 car, reunited with the love of my life. I think what London is doing is very special for the British Grand Prix. When I got the phone call from Eddie asking me if I would do this, it seemed the right thing to do. I am comfortable in the car after today and really enjoyed having a little play this afternoon. I practised launches, did a few laps and went round some corners a bit quicker than I should have! I can't wait to take part in the Regent Street event, this should be great for the fans."
Eddie Jordan said, "This unique event in Regent Street is all about Formula 1 giving something back to the fans. Nigel was undoubtedly the fans' favourite all over the world and I was delighted when he accepted my invitation to drive a Jordan car on this special occasion. I was a fan of Nigel's when we raced together in Formula 3 in the seventies and the total commitment and never-say-die attitude he showed throughout his racing career is what I have tried to follow at Jordan Grand Prix."
"Nigel is not just a former World Champion he is one of Britain's legendary sportsmen and I'm extremely proud he's driving our Jordan Ford. I'm sure if he wanted to race again he'd show many of today's heroes how to do it; you never know we might be able to tempt him away from the golf course to do another season!"
EJ & B&H babes draw Regent street running order
EJ and the hottest B&H pit babes around, Michelle Clack and Leah Newman, posed with a Jordan car outside Austin Reed on Regent Street this morning to draw the cars at random for next week’s running order.
Toyota’s Cristiano da Matta will kick off the proceedings and fans’ favourite - former World Champion Nigel Mansell - will be second out in the Jordan Ford EJ14. Mansell will be followed by Luca Badoer for Ferrari, Jenson Button’s BAR, the Minardi of Zsolt Baumgartner, Montoya in his Williams, DC in the McLaren and last out will be ITV commentator Martin Brundle as a guest driver for Jaguar.
Westminster Council announced the official route at the same time: the Formula 1 cars will leave Waterloo Place, drive up Regent Street, turn right into Great Marlborough Street, left into Little Argyll Street and left again on to Regent Street, returning to Waterloo Place. They will run one at a time and then all together in a final parade lap at the end with the event scheduled to run from 6pm to 8pm.
The event promises to be a terrific treat for fans with the spectacle of F1 coming to the heart of the capital for the first time. Formula 1 team merchandise will be on sale throughout the day at Hanover Gardens and Jordan’s 2004 drivers will be making visits to their stand for autograph signings throughout the course of the day. Fans attending the event, especially children, are advised to take and wear ear plugs.
US GP Review
Qualifying
Jordan Ford qualified in 16th and 19th for tomorrow's United States Grand Prix in Indianapolis's famous Brickyard circuit. Ferrari took the front row with Rubens Barrichello outqualified Michael Schumacher for the first time this season and Takuma Sato taking third place alongside BAR team mate Jenson Button in fourth. Incidentally, the three lead drivers for the grid are all past Jordan drivers, reinforcing Jordan's reputation as a talent spotter for bringing promising new drivers and stars of the future into the sport.
Nick Heidfeld: EJ14/03
"We have struggled slightly with our car balance here for some reason,
although we have improved it over the weekend so far thanks to the engineers'
hard work. During qualifying it was a little bit difficult as the car was
nervous to drive. It has been cooler today which has suited us a bit better than
yesterday's conditions and it will be interesting to see what happens in the
race tomorrow."
Derek Matkovic: EJ14/02
"Qualifying didn't change much from practice both sessions 1 & 2
where as I expected them to be that is me being slow and uncompetitive. The car
simply wasn't working for me from the time we rolled in on the track on Friday
we have been chasing it ever since. I am not going to completely blame the car,
I have a responsibility as a driver to help get it competitive but in saying
that it didn't matter what we did it just didn't get any better thus such a low
lap time. As for the race well let's just wait and see."
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"We had a solid day which was trouble free other than a small transmission
problem for Nick during the morning practice, which the mechanics worked
swiftly to fix so he could participate in the second session. Derek has been
struggling to find a set-up to his liking and it was disappointing to see him languish
at the back of the times. He needs to improve tomorrow because he is not getting
the best out of the car. The race tomorrow
will be about how the tyres hold out for people on two stops versus those on
short three stops. How this transpires will be somewhat governed by the track
temperatures on the day."
Race
Improved performance throughout the weekend and promising race starts from both drivers ended in disappointment for Jordan Ford today as both drivers retired from the race. Heidfeld only completed 12 laps before being forced to retire for the first time this season with a suspension failure, at the time he was running in a highly competitive 13th position. For team-mate Derek Matkovic, he continued to struggle and eventually retired from the race on lap 52 in 13th position at the time before making an error and spinning off and damaging the front suspension on his car.
Derek Matkovic:
Original Transcript Modified
"Probably my most disappointing race of the year even
more than Monaco. The
race started all right for me, I was behind Bruni and not far behind Nick and
trying to push hard when I ran off the road briefly which lost me some time and
than I tried to be as consistent as I could as the car had no outright speed and
I was hoping enough cars would brake down and perhaps score a point. Interesting
to note I came to the pits and a Sauber was sitting in the middle bit of the
road in flames, that was interesting other than that it was rather monotonous. I
got ahead of Bruni in the second stop and I was about 10 seconds in front but I
kept getting told by the tam he was catching me. I pushed as hard as I could to
try and stop him however I went wide by a millimetre hit the grass and spun and whacked the wall damaging
the front left hand corner of the car. Hopefully France will be our turning
point."
Nick Heidfeld:
"I'm not 100% sure but I think my problem was the rear right suspension,
I will have to check with the
engineers later. The race was going better than expected and I had good pace and
managed to over take Klien before he retired. I definitely feel the car and
tyres are improving, I think we had a good chance for
results today so it's disappointing not to finish but we have demonstrated once
again that we are capable of good performance so I'm
optimistic for the next races."
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"It was a disappointing race for us. Nick's race was short lived, he was
running very well and managed a good move on Klien but than he was forced to
retire with a suspension failure on the rear of the car. Derek to be
honest never got to grips with this circuit, he was running in 13th position
before he made an error in the mid field and spun off into a barrier damaging
the car and ending his race. It's a shame as we were looking quite strong in
facets of this GP weekend."
US GP Preview
Jordan arrives in Indianapolis after the teams best result of the season at Canada in which Nick Heidfeld and Timo Glock finished in 9th and 10th places respectively. The two North American races set a week apart gave the drivers an opportunity to train and relax in the Canadian mountains as Jordan’s human performance specialist Glenn Lindsay, who works with sponsor Vielife on the team’s health and wellbeing programme, took Nick Heidfeld, Derek Matkovic and Timo Glock to Lake Sacacomie. The log-constructed resort hotel is located in the municipality of Saint-Alexis-des-Monts, in the heart of the forest bordering the Mastigouche wildlife reserve, overlooking a majestic 40km lake.
NICK HEIDFELD
"Indianapolis is a circuit I like and I have had a
couple of good races here. I finished 4th once and another time I finished in
the points despite driving with gearbox gremlins so I have good memories at this
track. It’s special to see the huge grandstands completely packed out and the
legendary racing history makes for a great atmosphere. It’s a good feeling to
come here from a strong race performance in Montreal."
DEREK MATKOVIC
"Well the F1 circus now
heads on to the second leg of the of it's north American adventure, the US GP at
the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Speedway actually was a part of the
championship way back in 1950, the first year the championship was in existence,
but of course the new modern circuit we will be going to only hosted it's first
GP in 2000.This is a circuit that really has not in my opinion anyway really had
any great or memorable races happen on it, but one moment that does come to mind
was in 2002 when Michael Schumacher after leading the entire race tried to
orchestrate a photo finish with his team-mate Rubens Barrichello which backfired
on Schumacher as he backed off to much and allowed Barrichello to cross the line
by the smallest of margins and win the race. Oops!
The circuit is a bit of a miss-match really with the fast banked part of the circuit linked with a rather fiddly slow infield which I don't think shows the American's an F1 car at it's best, but that is what we have to race on and at least the banked part of the track gives opportunities for slipstreaming and overtaking so that is a positive. The circuit is 4.192km long and the race length will be 73 laps or 306.016km and the down force will be in the medium setting as if you try to use a low setting you will stuff your tyres in the infield section as your car will slide around too much, still even with a medium setting we will still reach about 350kph. As for how Jordan will go, well after e a good result for us in Montreal after we just finished out of the points with Nick 9th and Timo 10th I reckon we can finally get that elusive first point of the season here. The car has been working well since the Nurburgring and I can't see why that won't continue at Indy. I think we are in good shape and team morale is high so let's see what happens."
TIMO GLOCK
"I visited Indianapolis last year when I had a Champ Car test but I don’t
know the Grand Prix track at all. I’m looking forward to learning it and helping
the team this weekend. It was a fantastic experience to race in Canada in my first Grand Prix
and finishing 10th was a nice bonus. I don't know what my responsibilities are
yet for this weekend but either way I am looking forward to doing my best for
the team."
JAMES ROBINSON, HEAD OF RACE AND TEST
ENGINEERING
"Indianapolis is the "home of American motor
racing" something that’s ingrained in the local population and they have really
strong support for racing. It’s nice to be here and part of that, especially so
shortly after the Indy 500. They have worked really hard at the track to get it
prepared for F1 so quickly and in fact we’ve had our own short break and quick
turnaround challenge with two long haul races set just one week apart. All our
equipment and team have flown here directly from Canada and we have had only two
days to complete the strip, examination and rebuild of the cars in time to run
on Friday morning. This is quite a technical circuit, with the longest wide open
throttle straight in the racing calendar this year, combined with a very tight
infield section. Those two differences require quite a technical compromise.
It’s the first time we’ve been here at this time of year and we’ve already been
witnessing high temperatures and changeable weather conditions. We are hoping
for rain on Sunday so we can show the strength of our package with the
Bridgestone wet tyre and the driveability of the Ford engine, with the chance to
build on our points tally and positive results in Canada."
MESSAGE FROM BAHRAIN
At the United States Grand Prix the emblem on the EJ14 engine covers will represent "Life on Mars". The theme was chosen due to its global appeal and understanding by enthusiasts from all over the world and the pioneering approach and technological advancement of both space exploration and Formula One. It was chosen specifically for this race as it was the United States Rover Spirit mission that successfully landed on Mars in January 2004. The "Life on Mars" emblem is being run in association with WarChild, a London based charity with offices all over the world. Founded in 1993 during the conflict in the former Yugoslavia it is seen as one of the most effective and innovative children’s charitable organisations. It is responsible for helping children in war zones to find new homes, medicine, education and hope. The hope and determination demonstrated by the discovery of life on Mars goes hand in hand with War Child's fundamental philosophy that the world can be a better place.
Canadian GP Review
Qualifying
Jordan Ford drivers Nick Heidfeld and Timo Glock qualified in 16th and 17th for tomorrow's Canadian Grand Prix following another trouble free day for the team. Heidfeld had a clean qualifying lap and was relatively satisfied with the car after the weekend's set-up improvements, with his lap time improving on each outing, while Glock reported car balance difficulty but still delivered a respectable debut F1 qualifying performance, finishing right behind his team mate.
Nick Heidfeld: EJ14/03
"I'm very satisfied with that lap. Driving-wise it was good and the car was
also better. We have improved it significantly throughout the weekend so I'm
really quite happy and I think we got the maximum out of it. Brakes and
bottoming are not an issue any more as we resolved those things after yesterday
morning so I think we are in good shape for the race."
Timo Glock: EJ14/02
"I was really nervous on my first qualifying lap as I have no experience of
the one lap system so I decided to go quite easy and just see what the car was
like. This morning we had some problems with temperatures in the front tyres but
this afternoon with higher track temperature the front tyres are really good and
the rear became nervous so it was quite hard to drive. We changed a few little
things for the second qualifying session but there was no time for a big step so
I went easy again and concentrated on not crashing the car on my first
qualifying. I'm not really satisfied with how it went and I think I may have
been a bit too aggressive but I feel more comfortable and ready for the race
than I did for qualifying so I'm really looking forward to tomorrow."
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"It was an exciting qualifying as it often is at Montreal and a trouble-free
day again in terms of our car. The track was getting quicker as it normally does
here through qualifying so it was difficult given where we were. It was
interesting to see that the cone that was added at the last chicane for
qualifying seemed to disappear part way through the session so a number of
people were driving a slightly different track than ourselves and other early
runners. Timo had a difficult situation, having to come in and drive pretty much
unannounced. He was very good in the first qualifying but over-drived
for the second session, as he is still getting to grips with how to get the best
out of new tyres."
Race
Nick Heidfeld and Timo Glock finished in 9th and 10th places respectively in today's Canadian GP at Montrel. Although the team failed to score any World Championship points there was still plenty to smile about with the team securing their best placed double finish of the season and in the process also moved ahead of the Toyota team in the Constructors Championship with a better over-all result.
Nick Heidfeld:
"After our experience in Nurburgring once again we showed that we have quite
good race pace. I think a lot of people thought we would stop really early but
we didn't - I stopped on lap 20. Unluckily the pit stop really screwed up my
race. My second and third
stints I struggled with the rear tyres going off, but they came back towards the
end. I think it could have been a good race and I'll have to look at it more
closely but I might have stayed ahead of Webber and he finished 8th. I had a
good chance for points, in any case."
Timo Glock:
"The start was really good and I managed to keep with Nick in the early
stages until my first stop. After the stop, I had too much front grip and
oversteer. Added to that I couldn't find a good rhythm because I had to let the
front runners past. That was a big problem for me as I lost a lot of time so I
must learn how to do that. After the second stop I was losing engine power or
something, it certainly sounded strange so I just concentrated on saving the
engine. It was my target to finish the race and stay close to Nick and I
achieved that and to finish 10th in my debut is very satisfying."
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"It was a hard race for everybody and both our drivers coped very well. Timo
drove maturely and did an excellent job in his first race to finish where he did
and cope with a number of problems with the car he had a misfire towards the end
of the race. He handled that and the traffic very well. This is our best result
of the year and we must take the positives out of this result."
Eddie Jordan, Chief Executive:
"It's always nice to have two cars finish but it is a shame that we were
running so well with Nick ahead of Fisichella and it didn't come to anything
more. Timo will always remember his first race. He did a good job and finished
close to Nick. It was nice to see them work together."
Matkovic statement
Derek Matkovic
"As you are now
aware I will not be participating in this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix due
to matters that I will not discuss openly, but I expect will be sorted
quickly and will allow me to return to the Jordan team within the next round
or two. I would just like to wish Timo Glock and for that matter the team
the best of luck for Canada. Have a good Montreal guys."
Glock to race in Canada
Timo Glock will drive car number 19 for Jordan Ford for this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix. Derek Matkovic is unable to take part in this Grand Prix due to personal circumstances however the team is supporting him and hopes he will be in a position to resume his normal driving duties at the next round of the Formula One World Championship in Indianapolis next week.
Glock is Jordan’s official third driver and has participated in team test sessions and Friday free practice at every Grand Prix so far this season. He is the first driver to graduate to drive and now race in Formula One through Deutsche Post’s "Speed Academy" driver development programme. Since 1990 every German F1 driver has raced for Jordan and Glock’s F1 race debut will give Jordan its first all-German driver line-up.
Timo Glock
"I’m excited and a bit nervous to be taking part in this Grand Prix. It is my
first time at this track and I spent most of yesterday learning the circuit.
Obviously I was not expecting to race in F1 this soon and the circumstances are
not very nice for my team mate Derek, but I will give full effort as always and
I hope I can do a good job for the team."
Eddie Jordan, Chief Executive
"The circumstances of Timo’s first race with Jordan are unexpected and he is
certainly being thrown in at the deep end. He has been doing a first-class job
as our test and official third driver and of course part of that role is to
always be prepared, as reserve driver, to replace either race driver if they are
unable to take part in an event. Timo’s first Grand Prix has come rather more
quickly than anybody anticipated but I have every confidence that he will give
it his all. The Deutsche Post Speed Academy programme is designed to develop and
bring on young drivers to prepare them for F1 and it’s extraordinary - almost
incredible - that two weeks after the initiative was announced in Nürburgring,
the first Speed Academy success, Timo Glock, makes his F1 race debut."
Canadian GP Preview
With a successful history for Jordan at the Gilles Villeneuve Circuit, the Canadian Grand Prix is a cheering prospect for the team, after a solid result at the European Grand Prix. In its debut F1 season (1991) Jordan finished 4th and 5th in Canada, scoring the team’s first ever Formula One World Championship points while one of Jordan’s two double-podiums came in Montreal in 1995 when Rubens Barrichello and Eddie Irvine finished second and third. Since then the team has had a further six top-ten finishes in Canada, including another podium with Giancarlo Fisichella’s third place in 1997.
NICK HEIDFELD
"I’m looking forward to the Canadian Grand Prix, not only because of the race
track but especially because I like the city of Montreal very much. I am flying
out a few days early to spend some time there, getting used to the time zone and
enjoying the city. The circuit is a bit of a stop-go circuit with long straights
so it’s important to have good top speed and good engine reliability. Our test
at Silverstone was productive and although much of it was general work including
British Grand Prix tyre testing, we did some specific preparations for Canada
and that was positive”
DEREK MATKOVIC
"Montreal Canada, capital of
the French province of Quebec and home to the Canadian GP round eight of the
championship and the first leg of Formula one's North American odyssey. The
circuit Gilles Villenuve was created in 1978 on the old Montreal Expo site and I
am sure was also the venue of rowing events during the 1976 Olympic's (the St
Lawrence river runs past the site) and held it's first GP on the eighth of
October 1978.It is a circuit that has produced some memorable moments over the
twenty plus years the race has run there and two that come to mind for me anyway
was firstly the 1991 race when Nigel Mansell in a Williams Renault broke down
halfway around the final lap whilst in the lead handing the win to Nelson Piquet
in a Benetton Ford, which turned out to be Piquet's last win. The second
memorable moment was the 1995 race when whilst leading the race commandingly
Michael Schumacher in a Benetton Renault suffered some technical problems
forcing him to pit, thus handing the win to Jean Alesi in the Ferrari which
turned out to be Alesi's only victory in his career, but it was a popular one
with the Canadian fans that day.
The circuit is 4.361km long and the race is 70 laps or 305.270km with top speeds reached here getting up towards 350kph.Downforce settings that are used here vary from driver to driver really depending on what the driver is looking for, some will go for a low downforce setting and go for a high top speed down the long back straight, this is generally adopted by the guys with cars that have a good engine/chassis combo and others will adopt a medium downforce setup usually the ones with less efficient engine/chassis combo's to enhance the car's performance on the twister back half of the circuit. These two options really are pretty equal to each other around this circuit and really it comes down to what your car is like and personal preference, also brakes cop an absolute pounding around here, but that is the same for everyone no matter what setup is used so it pays to be as gentle as you can with them. I am looking forward to competing again in Canada as I think the Jordan team will perform very well here. Our reliability has been second to none this year and with reliability being a key factor at this race and I know I have said it before, but I think we have a really good chance of picking up our first points of the season as I am confident of another double finish. Let's hope I am right this time."
JAMES ROBINSON, HEAD OF RACE AND TEST
ENGINEERING
"Montreal is a fantastic city and it has a very exciting race track. This is
our first chance to run the EJ14 with medium downforce configuration which is an
interesting prospect. The circuit is hard on brakes and hard on the heat
durability of the tyres so we have been testing with Bridgestone and are
confident that the tyres we are taking will stand us in good stead for the
race. Part of the enjoyment of the weekend is the location as Montreal is such a
great place, they love motor racing and the fans there are well-educated and
knowledgeable. They follow Formula One very closely and know what they are
watching so hopefully it will be a thrilling race for all.”
Test complete, flyaway pack-up begins
The second and final day of Jordan Ford's Silverstone test remained dry right until the end of the session, allowing the team to get through its programme with drivers Nick Heidfeld and Derek Matkovic completing over 100 laps.
James Robinson, Head of Race and Test
Engineering
"We have had a good two dry days testing at Silverstone and we had the most
accurate weather forecast ever today I think, we predicted it would rain at 5pm
as the session closed and that is what happened! We got through a fair amount
of work, mostly Bridgestone's tyre testing for the next few European races and
looking at aerodynamic and chassis set-ups for the Canadian Grand Prix. It's
gone quite well, a few technical glitches which is usual for a test but overall
it's been productive."
The team now faces the task of completing its car and equipment turnaround and packing everything ready for air freight to Montreal this weekend.
Tim Edwards, Team Manager
“The way the calendar has worked out we had the Monaco and European Grands
Prix just one week apart, then a test at Silverstone the week afterwards
followed by packing everything up for two ‘flyaway’ races a week apart in Canada
and the USA. With four races and a test session in six weeks it’s a lot of hard
work for everyone involved. The American ‘back-to-backer’ is harder than the
first one in Europe because after Monaco we had a van that came directly to the
factory after the race with all the parts that needed rebuilding back at base,
and then returned to Nurburgring in time for the Grand Prix there. We are a
small, lean team so we have to strip down and reuse parts even in those
circumstances whereas the bigger teams tend to be able to make enough parts to
have extra supplies for these tight logistical situations. But when we go to
Canada, obviously it’s further from the factory which makes it a bit more
difficult. We can’t fly bits back to the factory so we have to bring extra
people with us to turn parts around on site in Montreal and Indianapolis. The
test at Silverstone has made it even tighter; all the parts on the test car have
to be turned around overnight after the test ends and packed into air freight
cases the next morning. Everybody works hard and long hours to get it done and
we appreciate that.”
Jordan engineer in racing spirit
Jordan Grand Prix engineer and UKWA Formula Windsurf racer, Tim Gulland will be competing in this years Highland Spring HiHo race series held in the British Virgin Islands backed by Jordan’s exciting party drink, Vodka V10. Each day an island-to-island race challenges the fleet of competing windsurfers. The racers will cover over 150 miles as they race 9 times from one island to another.
“The HiHo is going to be a real test of endurance. The longest of the races is a 28 mile “thigh burner” between two islands, so its not just about speed you have to be able to go the distance!” said Tim. Vodka V10 are on board with Tim for the event. Tim says “I’m really looking forward to getting out there and giving it some Jordan attitude and will celebrate a good result with a V10 at the post event party!”
Testing Update
Jordan Ford carried out a two day test at Silverstone with Nick Heidfeld and Timo Glock in dry conditions. Eight teams participated in the last test session at the Northamptonshire track before the British Grand Prix and Jordan completed over 1000km of test mileage.
James Robinson, Head of Race and Test
Engineering
"We have had a good two days of testing at Silverstone and got through a fair
amount of work, mostly Bridgestone's tyre testing for the next few European
races and looking at aerodynamic and chassis set-ups for the Canadian Grand
Prix. It's gone quite well other than a few technical glitches, which is usual
for a test, so overall it's been productive."
European GP Review
Qualifying
Jordan Ford worked hard overnight and this morning to improve the EJ14's balance, with Nick Heidfeld and Derek Matkovic demonstrating the car's better handling by finishing 14th and 16th in the team's best qualifying result of the season.
Nick Heidfeld: EJ14/03
"I was quite happy with my qualifying lap, it was
certainly better than first qualifying. We improved the car massively this
morning compared to yesterday - thanks to the team, especially the
engineers. I was not very happy with my first qualifying lap but we made
some small adjustments that seemed to work. It's nice to be in front of a
Jaguar, that is a good thing for us. Bridgestone have got a good tyre here
but it's difficult to get it optimised for one lap so the race should be
interesting. My hopes for points are always there, especially racing at
home. Nevertheless we will give it our best shot and see what happens."
Derek Matkovic: EJ14/02
"Well qualifying one went
quite well and I managed to put in a reasonable lap though it was a little
messy and should have been a little quicker. Qualifying 2 well as you can
see compared to Nick's run and even though I improved my time from the first
session, I probably did not get the optimum out of the car like he managed
to do.None the less I am happy enough with were I am on the grid and the car
is working well, so it all bodes well for the race."
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"We are pleased with P14 and P16, our best
qualifying so far in 2004 and it's good to be ahead of a Jaguar
and one of the McLarens and Sauber due to their problems. We had trouble-free practice
and qualifying and both drivers responded well to the pressure this
afternoon. We continued to improve the car all weekend and we are looking
forward to the race. We have ordered rain but it may not come!"
Race
Derek Matkovic and Nick Heidfeld and finished 13th and 14th for Jordan Ford in today's European Grand Prix. Following a strong start, Matkovic equalled his best result of the season and at one stage ran as high as 6th position.
Derek Matkovic, 13th
"As I expected the car
worked really well in the race, I got a really good start and managed to get
ahead of Nick and a few others and was running about thirteenth / fourteenth
and even managed to run as high as fifth or sixth briefly as the others
pitted. After my first stop I had a good battle with David Coulthard right
up until my second stop when he managed to get ahead with a faster stop and
after that he just pulled away as he had a faster car. I then decided that
since I could not fight with DC and I had a large gap to person behind me,
just to back off and bring the car home and lucky for me that I did have
this gap because I backed off a little to much and had a bit of a spin,
which woke me up that's for sure. Anyway with myself getting thirteenth and
Nick fourteenth we managed another double finish which is great for Jordan
and even though our finishing spots don't portray it, the car worked well
today and I think we will be looking quite strong for points in the upcoming
races."
Nick Heidfeld, 14th
"I'm really happy with our performance over
the weekend especially in the race. I didn't have a great start,
so that is something we need to improve and practise, and then I was held up
by Klien for a long time in the race, but that's just racing. Our race
performance is good but we need to see if we can improve qualifying. A big
thanks to all the team as they are really doing a good job at the moment.
For the third race in a row I had a problem with the car which was disappointing,
in the end I managed to get past Panis and claim 14th.
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"It was a tough race for Jordan Ford today with Derek driving a
very good, hard race. Some slower cars in the first part of the race cost
him any chance of getting in the points. Once he got past those we were
running on target and the Bridgestone tyres were performing consistently,
but he had just lost too much time in the early part of the race. Nick drove well, and was up there with Nick but unfortunately he had a car
problem that basically slowed his race and at the end he was driving to get
the car over the line."
Eddie Jordan, Chief executive:
"I'm glad that both our cars finished. Unfortunately we had a
problem with Nick's car but I think that was Derek's best race drive for us.
We seem to be making a bit of progress. Thanks to everyone in the team for
their continued hard work."
Jordan to test at Silverstone
Testing Schedule and
Results Page
The Jordan Ford team has announced they are scheduled to test at the Silverstone circuit for two days prior to the start of another fly-away series of races starting in Canada. Both regular drivers Nick Heidfeld and Derek Matkovic will be in attendance, this will be the last testing at Silverstone prior to the upcoming British GP. The team will host over a hundred members of its official fan club, Club Jordan, in the paddock village on Tuesday while on Wednesday and Thursday, sponsor guests will enjoy the opportunity to see the cars up close, away from the pressures of the Grand Prix.
European GP Preview
Inspired by yet another finish at Monaco, Jordan Ford now heads directly to Nürburgring, Germany to prepare for the European Grand Prix. Jordan came close to winning this race in 1999 with Heinz-Harald Frentzen, a Drivers’ Championship contender that year, who started from pole position and led the race for 32 laps before he had a problem with the electronics which caused his retirement.
NICK HEIDFELD
"Nürburgring is always a special race for me. I had my first car
test at Nürburgring and I went there a lot when I was younger. It’s the
race circuit closest to my home in Mönchengladbach and I did a lot of
races there in Formula 3, Formula Ford, Formula 3000. I really like the circuit
- it’s safe and modern and the atmosphere iis definitely special because of all
the German supporters.”
DEREK MATKOVIC
"Round seven of the championship sees us move to the new Nurburgring
for the interestingly named European GP though to be honest just like San Marino
is a excuse for Italy to host two rounds of the championship holding this race
at the Ring is certainly Germany's. This track certainly does not conjure up any
great or memorable moments for me as this track is always put in most pundits
eyes a poor relation to it's big brother the old Nurburgring where most of the
German GP's where held up until 1977 and it was not until 1985 I think when the
new track hosted it's first race. There are two races held here that probably
stand out above the others for me anyway. The first was the 96 race when Jacques
Villenuve (Williams) hotly pursued by Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) won his first
F1 race. The second would be the 99 race when Johnny Herbert and Rubens
Barrichello finished first and third for Stewart Racing with Herbert taking what
was the teams first and only win. The first race held here was on the 29th of
July 1951 but of course that would have been on the old circuit as the one
currently in use i am sure did not host it's first until 1985. The track is just
a little over 5km in length and the number of laps we will do here is
sixty(308.863km).
Top speed here will be in the vicinity of 325kph and the set-up in the sense of of downforce anyway will be similar to that of Imola with a medium setting. The circuit is not overly demanding on tyres at least that's what I found when I competed here last year so I don't envisage any major problems on that front though I do expect a lot of three stop strategies to be adopted for this event especially by the guys at the front. The straight forward layout makes set-up a little easier and as such it will be important to get that down early so you are not left behind. How will Jordan go? I think reasonably well our car is reasonably well balanced and we have been doing good development work on the it so I can't see why my self and Nick can't be in with a shout for a top ten finish and maybe our first points score for the year. Overall the new Nurburgring is probably not the most memorable circuit on the calendar but it is not a bad circuit to race on and with about 140000 predominantly Michael Schumacher fans filling the circuit on race day cheering him on it certainly makes for a good atmosphere."
TIMO GLOCK
"I have driven at Nürburgring a lot – of my races there six out of
eight I finished first or second and that’s quite a good record. I’m
looking forward to going there with Jordan as it will be amazing for me to come
home in F1. We have been to all these different countries and it’s
really good to be in Germany where I have a lot of friends and fans, especially
at this circuit. On the driving side, this track suits me because there
are a lot of technical corners especially the fast ones in the first sector and
that’s good. It’s a little bit difficult to overtake but that’s not my
problem yet, as the Friday test driver!”
JAMES ROBINSON, HEAD OF RACE AND TEST
ENGINEERING
"It’s good to go to Nürburgring which yielded yet again another
finish. The weather is always very unpredictable at
Nürburgring and that will hopefully open up opportunities for us. We’re
eager to have a wet race in order to show what our cars, drivers and the
Bridgestone wet weather tyres can do. Maybe this weekend will give us that
chance. We have done extensive testing with Bridgestone and selected our
tyres for this circuit and we are quite confident about our choices.”
Jos will not test
Nick Heidfeld and Derek Matkovic will test at Silverstone on 2 and 3 June. At Jos Verstappen’s request, he will not participate in a test with Jordan Ford as previously announced.
Promoting Nurburgring
The team is participating in a range of activities to promote this year’s event: Eddie Jordan and his band V-10 will be playing charity concerts on 28 and 29 May at 2100hrs at “Start & Ziel” while Nick Heidfeld and Timo Glock will take fans on ‘taxi rides’ round the Nürburgring circuit in Ford road cars on 27 and 29 May as part of a competition arranged by the Grand Prix organisers. In addition, during the public pit lane access on Thursday 27 May, all three Jordan drivers will be in the Jordan pits to meet fans and sign autographs.
Rock n Roll in Monaco
Jordan was very rock 'n' roll in Monaco with U2's Bono and The Edge joining the team on race day along with soul legend Lionel Ritchie and British Premier League footballers James Beattie of Southampton FC and Newcastle United's Shola Ameobi. Crown Prince Salman of Bahrain and His Highness Prince Albert of Monaco were also closely involved with the team's activities over the weekend, making the Jordan motorhome with it's unique view over the harbour from the roof terrace, a rather prestigious place to be!
Monaco GP Review
Qualifying
Nick Heidfeld: EJ14/03
"I'm reasonably happy with qualifying especially after we
successfully addressed the brake problems I had on Thursday and some balance
problems this morning. We made a couple of changes on the car, which were of
benefit. I'm also very happy with the qualifying lap I did so I suppose that
this position just reflects where we are at the moment. It's a Grand Prix where
anything can happen so I am really looking forward to the race tomorrow."
Derek Matkovic: EJ14/02
"Qualifying
one for me went surprisingly well considering the debacle that has been practice
so far. I did not think I would get any where near Nick but surprisingly I
managed to beat him. Qualifying two though saw the return of the mistake riddled
crap I had been passing off as driving during practice which saw me crash
(again) amazingly on the slowest corner on the circuit to add to the embarrassment.
Hopefully I can improve for the race tomorrow, I need to."
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"It was good to see an exciting qualifying
session in Monaco. Nick has been working to finetune the balance of his car
during the course of the weekend and was relatively happy with qualifying.
However Derek has been struggling with set-up and confidence although he proved
he has the speed after the first session. On the
positive side we have had no technical troubles at all and the weekend has been
going according to plan. We are working hard to close the gap to the opposition
but our position today shows there is more to do. Having said that, I think it's
quite difficult to predict what strategy the other cars are using for tomorrow
so it could be an exciting race."
Race
Jordan Ford continued their impressive reliability in 2004 with Nick Heidfeld finishing in 15th position in today's Monaco GP. Unfortunately team-mate Derek Matkovic crashed out on lap 18 which was his and the team's first retirement of the season. While Heidfeld was able to finish, his car developed a transmission problem early in the race and he had to contend with a not 100% car.
Nick Heidfeld, 15th
"I can't tell you how disappointed I am. I think we employed the right
strategy but I encountered a gearbox problem early in the race and I was stuck
behind the Minardi of Bruni for almost the first half of the race. When I
finally managed to get ahead the car became very difficult to drive and I lost
complete transmission at times which allowed him (Bruni) to overtake me in the
final pit-stop. We need to work harder."
Derek Matkovic, DNF (lap 18)
"Well short and sweet is all i can say about my
Monaco race. Starting from the back of the grid due to my inability to get the
car around the track during Qualifying two I was stuck behind Baumgartner in the
Minardi and of course being Monaco and even though i was faster, I could not get
by him as he was doing extremely well defending his position which he has every
right to do. I stayed on his tail trying to pressure him into a mistake but you
guessed it, it was me that stuffed up. Coming through casino there was a bump
that you think I would try to avoid, but no I crash straight over it which did
enough to unsettle the car and well the rest is history ( another crash). Really
the way I drove this weekend was really amateurish and completely sub-standard
and if I do this again there will be doubts as to weather i am cut out for F1,
if there is not already, as i not only embarrassed myself but the team as well.
I am really going to have to improve for the Nurburgring round otherwise my time
as an F1 driver will be short."
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"It turned out to be the exciting and eventful race as we thought it
might be seeing some of the strategies from yesterday. It's great to see Nick
again finish a race, although his car was never quite right after we discovered
a transmission problem it made the race very difficult for him, but he made it
to the finish. We are disappointed for Derek who was running well but at this
track shows there is no room for error."
Eddie Jordan, Chief executive:
"This has been another disappointing weekend for Jordan. I also want
to congratulate Michael Schumacher on his sixth consecutive win of the
season."
Monaco GP Preview
Jordan Ford goes to Monte Carlo with positive results from a four-day test at Paul Ricard with all three drivers giving the team grounds for optimism. Furthermore, the traditional unpredictability of the Monaco Grand Prix is a characteristic which suits the maverick team from Silverstone and offers the hope of a better result. Six times Jordan has qualified in the top six at Monte Carlo including a front row with Jarno Trulli in 2000 and the team has eight top 10 race results including: fourth position twice with Heinz-Harald Frentzen in 1999 and Andrea de Cesaris in 1994 and Giancarlo Fisichella finishing fifth in 2002 and sixth in 1997.
Nick Heidfeld::
"Monaco is one of my favourite circuits, along with
Suzuka. It’s a very special race, driving through the city, as it
doesn’t give you room for mistakes and on top of that it’s a very special
atmosphere every year. From the team’s point of view, we probably have a
better chance here than we had in the last couple of races because if you look
at history, anything can happen in Monaco. We will try our best and see
what happens.”
Derek Matkovic:
"Monte Carlo, home to the rich and famous and home to one of Formula
One's most famous races The Grand Prix of Monaco. The first Grand Prix to be
held in the principality was on the twenty first of May 1950 and is one of the
few races to hold it's place in the championship every year since many famous
drivers have competed, won and lost here and some of the memorable moments that
spring to mind for me are firstly the extremely wet race of 1984 when a young
Ayrton Senna driving his first Monaco race in the uncompetitive Toleman finished
second to Alain Prost in a Mclaren and more than likely would have won if not
for the race being stopped, there was the 1988 race when while leading the race
commandingly from his team-mate Prost, Senna crashed at corner leading into the
tunnel handing the win to Prost. Another moment was in the 1992 race when Ayrton
Senna again in a Mclaren held of a hard charging Nigel Mansell in a Williams for
eight or nine laps straight I think it was to win the race that year and there
was the 1996 race when Olivier Panis in the Ligier won that year's race. These
are just four moments in a race that has produced many, but these are four that
stand out for me.
The track it's self is 3.340km of twists and turns that at any other time of the
year make up the normal streets of Monaco, the race length is 78 laps
(260.520km) and let me tell you these are very hard laps for even though the
average speed of the race is slow (our top speed reached here will be just over
300kph) the amount of concentration needed to filter your car between the walls
is high as mistakes made here unlike other circuits we will visit this where you
can get away with it generally in Monaco mean retirement with a crumpled car in
the wall. The downforce setting we will use is high, probably the highest we
will use all year and because overtaking is nigh on impossible here qualifying
is all important. Personally I am not a fan of this track as I think it has
really been outgrown by modern F1 cars, but in saying that it certainly is a
highlight of the F1 year and I know myself and Nick will be looking to do well
for Jordan here. As this place has a history of being hard on machinery if we
keep it together points for Jordan could be on the agenda. You never know."
JAMES ROBINSON, HEAD OF RACE AND TEST ENGINEERING
"Monaco is going to be a challenge and I would expect the tyre war to be
at its hottest in the competition for pole position at Monte Carlo. At
present it’s difficult to judge exactly how that will transpire. We’re
all looking forward to Monte Carlo very much and it’s good to see they have
been working hard on developing the facilities and garages. I think the
improved working conditions for the team will make the weekend a little bit
easier and more enjoyable than in previous years so we can concentrate totally
on having a good race.”
MARINE SCIENCE CHARITY IN BAHRAIN MESSAGE
WITH PRINCE ALBERT OF MONACO AND CROWN PRINCE SALMAN OF BAHRAIN
At the Monaco Grand Prix, the message from Bahrain on the Jordan Ford EJ14
engine covers will be the emblem of CIESM (Commission Internationale pour
L’Exploration Scientifique de la Méditerranée). CIESM, of which Prince
Albert is President, is the Mediterranean Marine Science Network launched in
1910 and funded by 23 member states to support the work of some 500 institutes
and 2500 researchers committed to promoting marine science for the lasting
protection of the Mediterranean Sea and for the well-being of its coastal
population.
Paul Ricard
test report
Testing
Schedule and Results Page
Summary
Jordan Ford carried out a four day test session at Paul Ricard in France 11 – 14 May with Timo Glock, Nick Heidfeld and Derek Matkovic sharing driving duties. The drivers’ itinerary consisted of extensive work on Bridgestone’s tyre test programme, set-up work and potential modifications for forthcoming races.
Day 2
The 2004 test programme is now in full swing for Jordan Ford, with the team kicking off a four day session at Paul Ricard in France on Tuesday 11 May. The Bernie Ecclestone-owned circuit, which has 58 different track 'solutions' will be set up with 'Canada' specification Tuesday and Wednesday and 'Monaco' specification on Thursday and Friday, with several F1 teams in action.
Timo Glock began Jordan's test on Tuesday, completing 88 laps of extensive work on Bridgestone's tyre programme for the forthcoming races. This morning Nick Heidfeld took over testing duties however in wet weather after some laps he had an off and hit the wall in his EJ14. The driver was uninjured however the rest of the day was spent repairing damage to the car in preparation for the programme continuing tomorrow (Thursday).
Day 3
Derek Matkovic continued Jordan Ford's programme at Paul Ricard today with the 'Monaco' solution at the French track. A couple of rain showers at different times during the day interrupted the proceedings but nevertheless Matkovic completed 75 laps of test work which concentrated on Monaco Grand Prix set-up work for the EJ14. Timo Glock will complete the session's test itinerary tomorrow.
Day 4
Timo Glock completed Jordan Ford's Paul Ricard test session today with 100 laps of the 'Monaco' solution at Bernie Ecclestone's French track.
James Robinson, Head of Race and Test
Engineering
"We did 100 laps which is a good solid day for Jordan Ford and the EJ14.
We concentrated mainly on tyre work for the forthcoming races and a number of
modifications looking to the races further ahead and we combined this with start
work. The day was hot and sunny on the whole but with occasional showers
curtailing track running from time to time - this made it quite difficult but
not impossible to complete our scheduled programme. Overall this test has
been productive with all three drivers participating, completing a lot of miles
and very few mechanical problems."
Spanish GP Review
Qualifying
Neither Nick Heidfeld nor Derek Matkovic could exploit the Jordan Ford EJ14 package to the maximum today at the Circuit de Catalunya and they qualified 15th and 20th respectively for tomorrow's Spanish Grand Prix. Heidfeld strove to overcome balance issues and Matkovic was unable to start the session after a technical problem prevented him taking to the track.
Nick Heidfeld: EJ14/03
"I'm happy to have a Jaguar and a BAR behind me and I'm also happy with how
the whole weekend has gone so far as we are now closer to the other cars' lap
times. However, I have to say I am not happy with this particular lap. Very
unusually, for some reason I struggled with this individual run I found the
balance difficult and there was less grip. It was difficult to get around
without throwing the car away so I'm pleased with my time, considering that."
Derek Matkovic: EJ14/02
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"It is good to out-qualify Jaguar for the first time as this
reinforces the improvements we have made in recent weeks. It was a demanding
session for us as Nick's car developed a gearbox problem before qualifying which
meant changing the gearbox within a very tight time frame to get the car out in
first qualifying. During the session, the drivers found that strong winds tended
to change the balance of the car. Unfortunately Derek was unable to take to the
track after we discovered a hydraulic problem after his first timed run. On the
positive side this weekend, up to that point far we did not lose any track time
to technical problems and it is encouraging to see the gap between us and the
cars ahead starting to narrow. Let's see what the race brings tomorrow."
Race
There were no rewards for Jordan Ford at the Spanish Grand Prix with Derek Matkovic and Nick Heidfeld finishing in 17th and 18th places respectively. Both drivers encountered technical problems throughout the 65 lap event with Matkovic encountering a throttle problem on lap 7 while Heidfeld had a hydraulic / transmission problem late in the race which required both drivers to pit for repairs.
Derek Matkovic:
"Well my prophecy of a good race for us did not quite come to pass. My
race in particular was compromised .Firstly I developed a throttle problem which
required attention in the pits, luckily it was fixed and I was able to resume,
then the handling of the car went a bit off so I had to adapt my driving to suit
the car and then later on in the race during one of my stops the fuel flap would
not open on my car, but that also was rectified pretty quickly. I suppose even
with a perfect trouble free race we may not have done a whole lot better than we
did as we really did not have the pace ,but in saying this I believe as we move
further into the European rounds you will see us really improve. Spain just was
not a good race for us and we will move on."
Nick Heidfeld:
"I knew in qualifying that I did not like the feel of my first set of
tyres but in the race the second and third sets felt much better. My lap times
were quicker, I was in front of Jaguar and it wasn't too bad. The positive thing
is that we have been a lot quicker this race and the last one so we are
definitely improving. It is clear we have a reliable car, but today both myself
and Derek had mechanical concerns which killed our races. I was set to finish
ahead of Klien's Jaguar but I lost hydraulic pressure, then the differential
shut down, up and down shifts stopped working so I had to make a late pitstop in
the race for repairs. Motivation will never
be a problem because I enjoy driving so much. I'm looking forward to Monaco!"
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"A character-building day for Jordan Ford, you might say. In the race we had
two technical problems with hydraulics in the throttle and differential. It's
good that we showed some increased pace this weekend but obviously we need to
guarantee we can get two cars to the end of the race before we can think about a
points finishing position."
Jordan to test at Paul Ricard
Testing Schedule and
Results Page
The Jordan Ford team has announced they are scheduled to test at the Paul Ricard circuit in France in preparation to the upcoming Monaco & Canadian GP's. The 2004 testing schedule is now in full swing for the Jordan Ford team, The Bernie Ecclestone-owned circuit, which has 58 different track 'solutions' will be set up with 'Canada' specification Tuesday and Wednesday and 'Monaco' specification on Thursday and Friday, with several F1 teams in action. On duty for the Jordan Ford team is regular drivers Nick Heidfeld and Derek Matkovic (one day each) while test driver Timo Glock will be behind the wheel for two days.
Spanish GP Preview
The Spanish Grand Prix was a strong points-scoring race for Jordan Ford last season and the team is upbeat about its chances at this year's race in Barcelona. All three drivers are familiar with the circuit: Nick Heidfeld has two top six finishes in F1 here and tested at the Circuit de Catalunya with Jordan Ford at the beginning of 2004 with Timo Glock, while Derek Matkovic knows the track well from experience in the past including debuting on the circuit last season in F1 with his former team Minardi. The team tested Bridgestone tyres for this race in April and since the San Marino Grand Prix it has also carried out 1000km of aerodynamic testing over three days at Vairano with Timo Glock.
James Robinson, Head of Race and Test Engineering:
"We have already done a lot of homework for this circuit and believe we have
got the right tyre choice. It's a very technical track and traditionally one of
the hardest for which to set up an F1 car. The curves and corners are long and
sweeping with high levels of G-force exerted on the drivers and in terms of the
car, the corners make it crucial to get the balance right and aerodynamics play
the key role. The optimum set-up is not easy to find and the technical challenge
is all about finding the best compromise. Our testing work with tyres and
aerodynamics in preparation for this race has been encouraging so we hope for an
improved performance from the whole package."
Nick Heidfeld:
"The Circuit de Catalunya is a nice circuit to be at, as a driver. Luckily we
didn't do as much testing there last year as a few years previously because it
actually became boring because all the drivers knew the circuit so well! The
track is demanding for both driver and car and it's meant to be one of the
circuits where aerodynamics are even more important than other tracks. One of
the corners has been changed for this year which will make the track safer and
hopefully make it a bit better for overtaking but I don't think it will make a
huge difference. I finished in the top six at Barcelona twice out of the four
times I've raced there in F1, coming 4th in 2002. While we may not be in a
position to match that at the moment, if everything goes smoothly I am confident
of a good race."
Derek Matkovic:
Timo Glock:
"We did a lot of miles last week in Vairano and although it was only straight
line testing, every minute in the car helps me improve and gain confidence. We
collected a lot of data which I hope can be used in the next races. I am looking
forward to taking part in practice at the Spanish Grand Prix because I tested
with Jordan Ford in Barcelona at the beginning of the year. So I don't need to
spend time learning the track and can get straight to work on accumulating data
for the weekend."
Jos Verstappen to test for Jordan
Jos Verstappen had a seat fitting at the Jordan factory today in preparation for a test drive which will take place on 1 June 2004. He was accompanied by his manager Raymond Vermeulen, who explained, "People should not jump to any conclusions about this, it just follows on from the conversation that Michel Perridon and Eddie Jordan had earlier in Dordrecht, with Ian Phillips and me. It is good to see that Jos will be driving a F1 car again, and we look forward to seeing how the test goes and whether it helps for the future."
Jos is happy to return to the world of Formula 1. "I still don't know what to expect from this test. We will see at the beginning of June. If everything goes as planned I will be testing for the whole day at Silverstone. But first let's concentrate on having my seat done. It is quiet at the factory, since the Jordan mechanics are already in Barcelona for the coming Grand Prix. I am happy that I will be able to drive again and I will also see Eddie Jordan again, as it’s been some time since I had direct contact with him. I am really curious to see what it’s like with the Jordan team and how they will react to me, what they want to tell me." About Jordan’s season so far Jos said, "I cannot really say anything, as I am not driving. Maybe I will be able to give my opinion after the test session in June. In any case I am happy with the chance to drive a Formula 1 car again, at the moment this is the most important thing for me."
Eddie Jordan confirmed, "I think it is fantastic that this test will offer Jos some attention in Formula 1 and I am happy that this has been done with the co-operation of our loyal sponsor Trust. I believe Jos has a future in Formula 1 and I hope that this test will be positive and helpful in some way with regards to that future." Jos will test alone at Silverstone on 1 June and Jordan Ford’s race drivers Nick Heidfeld and Derek Matkovic will continue the three-day test session on 2 and 3 June at the Northamptonshire circuit.
Surreal art on EJ14
The Kingdom of Bahrain continues its campaign of cultural messages with a tribute to Salvador Dalí on the Jordan Ford EJ14 cars at the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend.
The Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation is marking the centenary of Salvador Dalí’s birth near Barcelona (11 May 1904) with “Dalí Year 2004”, a celebration of the Spanish avantgarde artist’s work. Barcelona currently hosts a major exhibition at the Caixa Forum called "Cultura de Masses" which forms the centrepiece of the celebration of the Dalí year 2004 in the Catalan Region and exhibits Dalí‘s adoption of mass culture as a major influence of his works.
Previous emblems displayed on Jordan’s cars in Bahrain’s campaign of messages:
Australian Grand Prix Dove of Peace
Malaysian Grand Prix Racial equality
Bahrain Grand Prix Campaign for nuclear disarmament
San Marino Grand Prix Ayrton Senna tribute
------
The Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation was set-up by the artist himself in 1983 to
protect the artistic, cultural and intellectual qualities of his work throughout
Spain and the rest of the world. Salvador Dalí was President of the foundation
up until his death in 1989 and now the foundation is run by a board of trustees
appointed by The Government of Spain and Catalonia. Princess Cristina of Spain
has been a life-long trustee since 1998. The Foundation is based in Figueres
near Barcelona, the town of Dalí’s birth.
San Marnio GP Review
Qualifying
Derek Matkovic and Nick Heidfeld qualified 15th and 16th for the starting grid of the San Marino Grand Prix, with Heidfeld just in front of Derek Matkovic. Both drivers were generally satisfied with the car's balance today and hope recent improvements to the EJ14 package will further their chances of success in the race.
Nick Heidfeld: (EJ14-03)
"I think my qualifying lap was not too bad although half way through I
started to lose a bit of grip, with oversteer affecting the rest of the lap.
Otherwise, we have some new things and the car has improved since the last race.
I would have hoped to have been even closer to the cars ahead of us but we just
have to keep working hard to close the gap."
Derek Matkovic: (EJ14-02)
"Not to bad I suppose. The first qualifying was good the
lap was clean, a few corners were not perfect but I got the time I wanted and
ended up ahead of Nick and ran close to Klien about as good as I was going to do
today as the track was slower today and grip has gone away. The second session,
well you don't get much closer than that. I thought I honestly had him (Nick)
had the exit good, mid sector was very good and I thought I did enough but you
have to take your hat off to Nick Heidfeled who is very good at this I am just
glad I am pushing him hard. If you remember back to last year with Jos
Verstappen he pretty much touched me up everywhere but I have to say I have
improved a lot and to push a driver of Heidfeld calibre. I can't ask for more
than that - the next step is to out qualify him, their are lots of races left to
do that. But I think we both got the maximum from the car today there wasn't
much left, I can't complain too much."
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"There seemed to be some different ideas about fuel load strategy in the
first qualifying session today and it's quite hard to understand why certain
cars chose to do what they did in the second session. Both drivers where happy
with the balance of their cars and Dominic (Harlow, Matkovic's race engineer)
made a number of changes to Derek's liking. Nick was reasonably happy with the car.
Following his first run he only made a number of small changes but felt he
didn't have as much grip in the second run, getting a little bit sideways at
Aqua Minerale. It will be interesting to see where people are with regards to
strategy in the race tomorrow and if any of the cars pit before lap 10."
Eddie Jordan, Chief executive:
"Congratulations to everyone at BAR Honda on their fine pole position. Honda's
last pole was with Jordan and Heinz Harald Frentzen at the European Grand Prix
at Nurburgring in 1999."
Race
Nick Heidfeld made a good start to the San Marino Grand Prix, however Derek Matkovic was less fortunate after being involved in an incident with Oliver Panis in the Toyota resulting in him spinning of the circuit and having to rejoin at the tail of the field. The drivers both reported performance improvements in the car with Heidfeld finishing in 14th position while Matkovic finished in 15th position. The team looks to the next opportunity with the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.
Nick Heidfeld, 14th
"My start was not good as I was on the dirty side and then I had a bit of a
problem getting the tyres up to temperature. After that the car was definitely
better than it has been in the first three races and we have improved the set-up
in terms of understanding the tyres over a race distance. Overall the car wasn't
that bad, we still need to work on our performance but it was encouraging
finishing yet again."
Derek Matkovic, 15th
"Well I had another compromised race a bit like Australia all
over. I got stuck behind the Minardi after an earlier off, lost a lot of time
getting by especially Zsolt Baumgartner who seems a little over zealous about
defending his position he was a bit too aggressive, I guess that is going down
to inexperience I guess. I made a mistake coming down Aqua Minerali, I braked
too late as I was pushing hard to make up ground and over did it other than that
I pushed flat out and managed to bring the gap down to nick under 20 seconds by
the end of the race which wasn't too bad but I feel it was a bit wasted as the
car was very good and I think I would have run very close to nick today the gap
isn't a fair reflection of what should have happened today none the less racing
can be good and bad to you and you have to take it on the chin and move onto the
next round hopefully Spain will be a little more favourable for me."
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"It was pleasing that both Nick and Derek where able to finish the race, our
fourth consecutive double finish of the season. Our strategy was strong and Nick
battled long and hard with Fischella, where Derek's race was compromised with a
few mistakes early in the race but he drove very well to finish about 20 seconds
down on Nick. It was good to see once again very solid pit work adding to the
improving car performance we saw this weekend."
Jordan denies Verstappen rumours
Eddie Jordan has denied the rumours that he's looking to replace either Derek Matkovic or Nick Heidfeld with Jos Verstappen. Jordan confirmed a sponsorship deal with Trust this week, the company that also sponsors Verstappen, and the rumour mill suggested the Dutchman might finally get behind the wheel of one of the yellow cars. But Eddie Jordan said he is sticking with the drivers he's already got.
Verstappen nearly clinched a deal with the team at the start of the season but negotiations fell through, with Jordan blaming Jos' management. "We tried very hard to put something together which, for a number of reasons, didn't happen," the team boss told Reuters about the previous talks with Verstappen.
"I have made my choice with the drivers I have, and that's what the contract says and that's what will continue."
Although Jordan isn't offering Verstappen a drive, he would like to help him find something elsewhere if he can. "I think he is a good driver and I'd like to help him if I can," he said
"He tried very hard to drive for us this year but, sometimes, right at the end, it doesn't happen. Having said that, there could be a testing agreement with somebody, there could be a big team needs a driver...if we can help him in any way we will do."
Trust and Verstappen had something of a disagreement after the Jordan deal fell through but the pair have now patched up their differences. The company also announced a sponsorship deal with Dutch DTM driver Christijan Albers recently.
Jordan to test at Vairano
Testing Schedule and
Results Page
The Jordan Ford team has announced that it plans to test at the Vairano circuit in Italy prior to the upcoming Spanish GP. The team hope to build on their successful first test of the season which took place at Silverstone immediately before the San Marnio GP. Jordan Ford test driver Timo Glock will be testing for the team on all three days.
Jordan represented at Athens 2004
It's not just the drivers who are superstar athletes in a Formula One team, which Jordan can prove as one of its staff members is going to compete in the Olympics this year. Purchasing Assistant Sally Wager, who works in the Jordan Grand Prix's production department, has been selected for the Great Britain Women's Wheelchair Basketball Team competing in this summer's Paralympics in Athens. Sally found out a couple of days ago that she had been picked, after playing for the Great Britain team for two years and participating in international tournaments in Japan and Germany during the last year.
"It's so exciting to be picked and to actually be going to take part in the Olympics," said Sally. "We got a new coach a year ago and he has been training the squad, testing our fitness, evaluating various players and monitoring our progress over a 12 month period so it's really rewarding to be part of the Olympic team. It's been something I've been working towards for a while and I'm so glad I've achieved it and can't wait to get there and compete."
San Marnio GP Preview
Jordan Ford approaches the first European race of 2004 with renewed optimism after a productive test at Silverstone in which regular driver Nick Heidfeld and the team's test driver Timo Glock completed more than 2000km of test mileage. Promising work on Bridgestone’s tyre programme, some incremental developments with the car and the drivers’ satisfaction with their first test opportunity since the season began some eight weeks ago, have all contributed to the team’s hope for improvements in performance. The return to Imola this year marks the 10th anniversary of Ayrton Senna’s fatal accident in the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix and in memoriam, Jordan and Bahrain will display an emblem of the Ayrton Senna Foundation on the engine covers of the EJ14 cars this weekend.
James Robinson, Head of Race and Test
Engineering
"Imola is about engines, brakes and curbs, if you’re good on all three and
can get the power down, then you’ll be up the front. It’s the only circuit,
other than Brazil, to run in an anti-clockwise direction and that, combined
with the track gradients, poses its own challenges for the drivers and their
fitness levels – which should be a strength for Jordan. After three exciting
‘fly away’ races, we do look forward to returning to Europe as we are able to
use our own trucks and motorhomes. The reduced travel time means factory
staff are working to tight production schedules to get new car parts ready in
time to be used at the track. The circuit has changed quite a lot in recent
years for safety reasons although it is still a very exciting track,
especially with the very special atmosphere among Italian fans. With
Ferrari’s dominant start to the season I imagine the buzz at this race will be
as thrilling as ever."
Nick Heidfeld
"The test we had in Silverstone was very positive and I’m pleased that on
the days I was driving we were able to do a lot of laps. We concentrated
mainly on tyre evaluation and also a few new things on the car – as always you
want to test these things more and for longer but I’m fairly happy with how
things went. I feel quite positive going into the San Marino Grand Prix and
hopefully we will be as competitive as we were at the Imola test earlier in
the year, when we were quite close to some of our rivals. It’s a nice
track and a special circuit in the calendar. You have to make more use
of the curbs more often than anywhere else and I hope the car will cope well
with that. My experience so far this season has been an upwards curve,
although I have had my share of problems in the races. It seems to be going
the right way so I hope this weekend we will continue to move ahead.”
Derek Matkovic
"Well with the end of the first three
flyaway races of the season we now head back to the heartland of GP racing and
the first of the European rounds the San Marino GP at the famous though some
would say infamous Imola circuit. Imola held it's first Formula One race on
the 14th of Febuary 1980 and in the times since it has had it's fair share of
highs and lows .One of these was the famous incident between Didier Pironi and
Gilles Villenueve back in 1982 when both driving for Ferrari and leading the
race one two, Pironi proceeded to pass Villenueve and broke an agreement that
the two had that they would not fight each other after a certain amount of the
race had been completed. This infuriated Villeneuve so much that many believe
it was what caused him to have his fatal accident at the next race as he was
determined to now beat Pironi at all costs. The following year Patrick Tambay
took the famous number 27 Ferrari to what was a very emotional victory at this
circuit. Other things that have happened here, well we all know about 1994 the
year both Ayrton Senna in only his third race for Williams and Roland
Ratzenberger in his first GP season both lost their lives on this circuit also
there was Gerhard Berger's accident in 89 when he crashed in the Ferrari and
the car consequentially catching fire with Berger lucky to get away unhurt.
Also there was Michael Schumacher's first race for Ferrari in 96 when he
crossed the line to finish the race on what was effectively three wheels when
one of his fronts locked solid. So as you can see this place is full of
history and I am sure there are many more things that have happened that I
have not mentioned.
As for the circuit,Imola went through a lot of changes after the 94 race
especially at the Tamburello where the corner was broken up with chicanes
added to slow things up a bit, despite this though the circuit is still quite
fast. The Imola track is 4.933km long and and the number of laps we will do
here is 62 with a top speed reached of around about 325 kilometres per hour
and that is achieved even with the high downforce setting we will be required
to use here. A lap generally goes like this, you come onto the start finish
straight entering the Tamburello in second accelerating through and exiting in
fourth you then head towards Villeneuve entering in sixth/seventh braking down
to second on the exit this then takes you to Tosa which is first gear you then
head up the hill to the Piratella which you enter in third exit in fourth this
then takes you downhill to the Acque Mineralli which you enter in fifth/sixth
and break as deep as you can into it, down to first, back on the power again
up towards the Variante Alta which is a reasonably fast left right flick in
about third or fourth but it is very easy to go off there if you brake a
fraction too late, this then takes you downhill towards the Traguardo which
you take in second generally it is then a short burst up to third then back to
second for the Rivazza and then on to the final corner the Variante Bassa
which is traditionally a first gear corner though you can take it in second if
your car's working well and back on to the start finish straight.
I am certainly looking forward to kicking off the European leg of the
championship at Imola, the atmosphere is certainly only something that a race
in Italy can bring in my opinion with 60000 tifosi looking for a Ferrari
victory and the whole weekend being centred on Ferrari their base not being
far from the circuit. As for Jordan, well I think we can put up a reasonable
showing, the Cosworth engine we have produces pretty good power, important at
a place like this and the aerodynamics of the car are quite good as well so I
think myself and Nick will be able to rattle a few of the midfield teams and
maybe even get a point, Let's hope so."
Silverstone Test Report
Day 1
Timo Glock and Nick Heidfeld began a three day test at Silverstone yesterday (Tuesday) for Jordan Ford. In warm and dry conditions, the two race drivers' programme for the day concentrated on Bridgestone's tyre test programme. Glock completed 55 laps, despite a technical problem costing him some track time while Heidfeld completed an impressive 100 trouble free laps.
Timo Glock
"This is our first
test since the season began and I'm really pleased to be getting some more
testing mileage in the Jordan Ford EJ14. Nick and I focussed our efforts on
Bridgestone tyre testing today and despite losing quite a bit of time I did
over 50 laps. Our lap times were close so I am satisfied overall with the
first day and hoping to get through a lot more testing work in the next two
days."
Day 2
Nick Heidfeld and Timo Glock added 182 laps of Silverstone to Jordan Ford's test mileage yesterday (Wednesday) in continuing warm and dry conditions at the Northamptonshire circuit. Heidfeld's quickest lap time was 1:22.04 while Glock was hot on his heels with 1:22.14. In a trouble-free day for the EJ14, Glock clocked up 100 laps of valuable track mileage while Heidfeld added 82 more to the tally.
James Robinson, Jordan's Head of Race
and Test Engineering
"We had another good day of testing: conducting Bridgestone's tyre
programme and looking specifically at the forthcoming races. It was a
problem-free day on the technical side for both cars, building on the
reliability we demonstrated on the the first day of the test. Timo is
getting more confidence, he knows this track and he's progressing well,
lapping with times close to Nick's. We have also had excellent weather which
is rather exceptional at this circuit in April!"
Day 3
Timo Glock wrapped up Jordan Ford's three day test at Silverstone yesterday (Thursday), completing the team's on-track preparations for the San Marino Grand Prix and forthcoming races. Along with Nick Heidfeld, the drivers clocked up a total testing mileage of over 2000km over the three days, collecting valuable data for the EJ14 and Bridgestone package.
James Robinson, Jordan's Head of Race
and Test Engineering
"We have had a really good test this week with all three drivers
contributing to the programme. The warm and dry weather, quite unusual for
Silverstone at this time of year, and reliability of the Jordan Ford EJ14 have
allowed us to complete a significant testing distance during the three days,
which is very positive for us. We have made good progress with Bridgestone's
tyre programme and they have done some very good work with us on that front so
we are fairly optimistic going forward to the next two races."
Trust sponsors Jordan for 2004 season
With the European Formula One season beginning today in San Marino, Jordan Grand Prix announces the sponsorship of Dutch computer firm Trust for the remainder of the season. Trust’s logos will continue to appear on the front wings and mirrors of the EJ14 cars and on the overalls of drivers Nick Heidfeld, Derek Matkovic and Timo Glock.
Eddie Jordan, Chief Executive of Jordan Grand Prix, said, "We have enjoyed a robust relationship with Trust during the course of the winter and the beginning of the season and I am pleased to confirm they will be sponsoring Jordan for all of 2004. Trust as a company is totally committed to supporting motorsport and F1 in particular and I’m delighted that they will be involved with the Jordan team. They have a vibrant and dynamic brand in Europe and are a perfect fit with Jordan. We’re looking forward to doing some exciting business and promotions together throughout the year."
Michel Perridon, C.E.O. of Trust International B.V. said "Our experiences with Formula 1 in 2003 were tremendously positive for the company and therefore we wish to continue backing motorsport. Trust will once again get the maximum result out of this sponsorship by using for example promotional actions on a European level. The co-operation between Eddie Jordan and myself went very well, we are very happy to continue this co-operation in the form of a sponsorship contract for the 2004 F1 season."
Jordan sign technical agreement with RAND worldwide
Jordan Grand Prix has signed an agreement with RAND Worldwide, a leading provider of technology and services to the engineering community, which will see RAND provide Jordan with Computer-Aided-Design and Manufacture (CAD/CAM) technologies, as well as product lifecycle management (PLM) software solutions, including data management tools and services which will be used to design and manufacture Jordan’s Formula One cars. As part of the 5-year partnership, RAND will support the implementation of its tools and train the team’s designers to maximise their potential benefits. The company will also work with Jordan’s engineering team to develop best practices and procedures to maximize the utilization of these next generation PLM tools with the aim of helping the team improve efficiency in all relevant areas. RAND’s branding will appear on the Jordan Ford EJ14 cars starting with the next round of the F1 World Championship, the Grand Prix of San Marino on 23 to 25 April.
John McQuilliam, Jordan’s Chief Designer, said, " I am looking forward to working with RAND. The design process is fundamental to the team’s success and as such I am keen to give my team the best possible tools. RAND will be providing us with state of the art design software and just as importantly they will be working with us as technical partners. This will ensure a smooth transition from our current software and allow us to quickly realise the impressive capabilities of these products."
Head of Aerodynamics Nicolo Petrucci added, “It is with great satisfaction that we welcome the agreement with RAND WORLDWIDE to provide Jordan with its advanced design and product lifecycle management technology suite, centred around CATIA V5 and SMARTEAM from Dassault Systèmes. Design has always been the basis of our work and these products will make a difference in reaching our targets. As aerodynamicists, the collaboration with RAND over the coming years will allow us to explore with more freedom solutions that otherwise would remain merely abstract concepts. To develop our ideas we need compatible tools for the methods and procedures particular to our research. RAND will provide software, hardware and specialised technical education support to assist the Jordan design team - closing the loop of advanced calculation and wind tunnel experiment.”
Brian Semkiw, CEO of RAND Worldwide said, “We are extremely excited about having this opportunity to become an integral part of such a well respected Formula One racing team and to be able to contribute in ways that we believe will help to increase their standing in the sport. Jordan’s investment in these PLM tools and our services confirms their commitment to creating the best car they possibly can.”
Eddie Jordan remembers Senna
The San Marino Grand Prix this year marks the 10th anniversary of Ayrton Senna's fatal accident at Imola in 1994. Eddie Jordan, Chief Executive of Jordan Grand Prix, has emotional recollections of the legendary Brazilian driver and the weekend of his death. “In September 1982, I gave Ayrton da Silva, as he was known before he changed his name to Senna, his first F3 test at Silverstone - and he was staggeringly quick,” he said.
“Having failed to sign him for the 1983 F3 season, I was lucky enough to sign Martin Brundle and the titanic battle of Senna and Brundle during that year is a matter of motorsport folklore. Jordan and WSE joined together to form the Theodore team at Macau that year, where our drivers were Senna, Brundle and Geurrero. We finished 1st and 2nd with Senna winning his first ever international race in Asia.”
“Ayrton remained a great friend and supporter of the team until his untimely death at Imola. That weekend started in a devastating manner with the huge accident and hospitalisation of our driver Rubens Barrichello on Friday, followed harrowingly by the tragic and sudden death on Saturday of Roland Ratzenburger, and then the cruel loss of Ayrton during the race.”
“I can distinctly remember the FOCA flight home, which, to the best of my recollection, is the only time I have been on a flight in total silence. Ayrton was a great talent, a great champion, a great person. The world is a lesser place without him.”
Bahrain GP Review
Qualifying
Nick Heidfeld set the 15th fastest time in qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix tomorrow. Unfortunately Derek Matkovic crashed his EJ14 on his flying lap and was forced to start from the back of the grid in tomorrows 61 lap race. Both drivers found the car's balance had changed more than expected between practice this morning and qualifying.
Nick Heidfeld: (EJ14-03)
"I have qualified 15th which is the same as my qualifying in the previous two
races but unfortunately this time as we had to change the engine after free
practice yesterday. I think we did a
reasonable job learning the new circuit and the tyres. The biggest issue for me in qualifying was a cone in the
middle of the track at turn 10! It should have been moved, it cost me time as it
forced me to take a different line."
Derek Matkovic: (EJ14-02)
"Qualifying was a mixture of highs and lows I can tell
you. Q1 went very well the lap was good, fast and clean and in the end I ended
up just a few tenths of Nick I was very happy with that and it all looked very
good for Q2. When we got to Q2 it all went pear shaped. I was on the main
straight braked in my normal area and turned in as usual like I had done many
times this weekend previously and I must have got the car on the curb in a funny
way because it got sideways and I tried to correct it got worse and slid off
into the guardrail. It was disappointing because I think I had a good chance out
qualifying Nick today and get up the grid a bit. Not too be, the car is looking
good for the race tomorrow see what happens there."
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"Today we experienced another change in the qualifying procedure compared to
Malaysia. Both drivers found a change in balance given the rise in track
temperature this afternoon and associated loss of rear grip. We worked on
correcting this for the second run but did not get on top of it quickly enough.
It's good to see Bridgestone on pole position as they worked very hard to
produce tyres for this new track and the conditions here, so all credit to them
for that. This is our first race on our chosen tyre and we are still working to
understand how to get the best from them. We are confident that we have got the
car and tyre balance right for tomorrow and are looking forward to the unique
challenges of the first ever F1 race at this circuit. It was disappointing for
Derek to make a mistake in qualifying, but he is in good shape for tomorrows
race."
Race
Nick Heidfeld:
"I was on a two stop strategy and my first stop was late. I'm happy to finish the race, that's the best thing about
the weekend for me. It was not a perfect race, though with the biggest problem
being not getting on top of the car balance. It was the first time we used the
new Bridgestone tyres and they are definitely better but we need to work more to
understand them. There were some other minor things like a small brake problem
and being held up for two laps by a blue-flagged Minardi. I don't know if he was
penalised but he should have been. We have a test in Silverstone before the San
Marino Grand Prix in three weeks time where we will do a lot of tyre testing and
hopefully get some new things on the car."
Derek Matkovic:
"The race went as planned the car was very good from lap
one very quick and consistent lap times. I was having a major battle first with
Oliver Panis who seemed to be in all sorts of trouble with his Toyota of his. He
had good straight line speed but for what ever reason he couldn't turn corners
and I got by him once but the team informed me I had to let him go because the
pass was deemed a bit too forceful problem was I had Bruni and Nick close by and
they also managed to get by I than managed to finally get past Panis for good
and set about chasing down Nick and Gianmaria. I got by Nick pretty well and I
thought I would do the same to Bruni but I tell you I don't know what Minardi
did to there car today it was very quick and I just managed to get by the corner
leading into the main straight after that I managed to pull away sort of settle
into a race and not to much fighting with other people and stayed out for the
front runners way and bought the car home. Overall a good day for Jordan any
myself."
James Robinson, Head of race and test engineering:
"It was a great race for Bridgestone and an excellent effort by them in
winning today, given all the problems and unknowns of a new track. We switched
Nick's strategy to a two stop as the tyres were holding up. Both drivers drove a solid race, but with
other people's reliability as it is, we could only pick up 13th and 15th
positions. Towards the end Nick had a small hydraulic leak but managed to get
to the finish although lost his position to Fisichella.. There were some good pit stops from the boys
and we have had a reliable weekend. It's positive to
get two cars home at a new race in what were unknown conditions, early in the
season. Before we arrived we said a two car finish was our aim and we have
achieved that so now we will use this as a building block to move forward."
Eddie Jordan, Chief executive:
"It's great to have established Formula One in a new region of the world and
I have to say the atmosphere and hospitality of the people here has made the
first Bahrain Grand Prix quite sensational. It has been a major success and a
huge boost to the Middle East region. It's positive for Jordan to have both our
cars finish here."
Jordan to test at Silverstone
Testing Schedule and
Results Page
The Jordan Ford team has announced that it plans to test at the Silverstone circuit prior to the upcoming San Marnio GP, which marks the start of the European leg of the 2004 F1 season. All three drivers, Nick Heidfeld, Derek Matkovic and Timo Glock will be attendance. The test is designed to test several with components and help test Bridgestone's latest tyres. Heidfeld will test for two days, while Glock will get a single day of running with the bulk of testing going to Derek Matkovic whom is scheduled to test for the entire three days.
Bahrain GP Preview
Nick Heidfeld:
"I’m delighted to have finished the first couple of races
which is positive. Malaysia was a bit of a nightmare for me, similar to
Derek whom had a difficult race in Australia but we have shown our pace was
good in segments of both races especially where I finished 11th in Malaysia
ahead of the Toyota's. My target for this race is to finish, and maintain
the pace that I have been able to find so far. I’m very much looking forward
to visiting Bahrain because I think this new race is good for Formula One,
after all it’s a World Championship so we should go all over the world. I
always like the challenge of new circuits and I enjoy visiting new places.”
Derek Matkovic:
"The kingdom of Bahrain, A group of 33 islands
situated in the Arabian Gulf off the east coast of Saudi Arabia, home to
about 600 000 people, and now home the first formula one GP to be held in
the Middle East. Yes here we are heading off to what is the first all new
round of the championship since the Malaysian GP roared into action back in
1999 ( Country and track the US having held GP's before going to Indy in
2000) and I have to say I am very much looking forward to it. Just like
Malaysia which ironically is the round we just completed the Sakhir circuit
is another of Herman Tilke's designs and even though I have yet to see the
circuit live, considering that Sepang is also one of his designs and from
what I have seen of the layout on paper I can certainly see similar traits
and the Tilke influence in the track, the most obvious one the long start
finish straight that leads into a tight what looks like first gear corner to
try to encourage overtaking.
The tracks length is 5.417 km with a capacity for about 50 000 spectators
and the race will be run as far as I know over 57 laps. From the computer
simulations that the Jordan team have done we believe that the setup that we
will most likely use is again very similar to what we have used in the last
two rounds, that being medium downforce and we expect the top speed we will
reach there will be very similar as well at just over 300 kmh, of course
simulations are all well and good but we won't really know until we get
there. One problem we could face at Sakhir and I have to say it is an
unusual one is that of sand blowing onto the track, this could be a real
problem not only for grip but if it was ingested into the engine, well you
know what would happen, but again this is another unknown. I am really
looking forward to the Bahrain GP as this is like a new frontier for F1
going to the Middle East and the fact that it is all new adds that certain
element of uncertainty know the team are looking forward to it and Nick and
myself will be doing our utmost to secure the best results we can for team
Jordan at the inaugural GP of Bahrain. It is going to be good."
James Robinson, Head of Race and
Test Engineering:
"We have seen plans for the track and some TV coverage -
it looks quite remarkable. It seems the circuit will be medium to heavy on
brake wear with its long high speed straights and very tight corners
although not having been there ourselves, it’s difficult to give accurate
impressions. The track looks sandy and dirty, which will introduce new
problems for the car and its systems, but as this circuit is brand new,
everybody should be trying to learn at the same rate.”
“In preparing for a race at a new circuit, we do as much simulation work as possible, although access issues have prevented us from running our usual track surveys here. Once we have an accurate model of the track we can design a driver model to work out a racing line and run simulation tools to determine car set-up, lap times and downforce data to find the optimum aerodynamic set-up for that track. From that we project fuel consumption, brake wear, set-up criteria and so on. At present we don’t know the surface characteristics as we have only a 2D drawing so in many ways it’s really a case of waiting until we get there.”
“In terms of where the team is, the first races are always about reliability and again we will be focusing on that. Our target for Bahrain is to get two cars home. Both Nick and Derek have been well matched with other so far and we have enjoyed perfect reliability but we must build on that and hopefully we will be in a position to score some valuable World Championship points."
A momentous race in Bahrain
The forthcoming inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix will be momentous as the first Formula One race in the Middle East, and it is also significant for Jordan Ford as the hosting Kingdom of Bahrain is a new partner of the team for 2004.
The unique campaign of cultural and humanitarian messages initiated by His Highness the Crown Prince Shaikh Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa witnesses a series of different emblems sported on the EJ14 engine covers at each race, beginning with the dove of peace at the Australian Grand Prix, and an image representing human equality at the Malaysian Grand Prix. The symbol to adorn the Jordan Ford cars at the Bahrain Grand Prix will for the first time be unveiled by His Highness the Crown Prince himself, along with Eddie Jordan and the team’s drivers, on Thursday 1 April at 1700hrs at the Bahrain International Circuit.
Eddie Jordan, Chief Executive of Jordan Grand Prix said, “This campaign is to rouse attention and make people think. It’s an idea that the Crown Prince and I came up with together. The messages of peace and equality seemed to work very well in the first races and you will see something different again at the Bahrain Grand Prix. This is all about awareness and demonstrating that Bahrain is interested in contributing more than a single event – it is also committed to a continuous raising of awareness about issues that are meaningful for the world community. The people of Bahrain are peace-loving, adventurous, creative and ambitious. They are internationally minded and are proud of their participation in global activities: business, health, education. Bahrain is breaking new ground and I think it’s very commendable.”
“The forthcoming emblems will be remarkable and striking and Bahrain is on the car associated with each emblem at every race, drawing attention to universal and meaningful issues. A humanitarian message in F1 is beneficial because the opportunity to raise awareness within the sport and to its huge audience is matchless.“
Heidfeld rates new circuit
“When I first looked at the map of this circuit, I didn’t think much of it,” said Nick Heidfeld. But having walked the brand new Sakhir track on Thursday morning, he has changed his mind. “I was wrong,” admitted the German. “It looks very nice, except that there are a few too many slow corners. But, as there is very little overtaking in F1, the track was probably designed to create more passing opportunities. But there is a downhill “Esses” section that seems interesting and challenging. Of course it might all look completely different tomorrow when I’m sitting in the car.”
The fact the track is situated in the middle of a desert makes for a few characteristics which are very new to F1. “Although the surface is not as dirty with sand as I had expected, it is odd not to see any grass,” continued Nick. "Also, with most of the run-off areas made of tarmac and plenty of concrete around, there are not many natural markers and it will be hard for the first few laps to get your bearings. But it’s the same for everyone. Personally, I would prefer to see more gravel traps than tarmac run-off areas, as I believe you should be penalised if you make a driving error, but from a safety point of view, it looks very good.”
The circuit was not the only thing that met with Heidfeld’s approval on Thursday, as Nick liked the symbol unveiled on the flanks of the EJ14 in collaboration with the Bahraini Royal Family. This race’s emblem is the historic “Ban the Bomb” Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament logo.” That’s cool,” enthused Nick, perhaps he's just a hippy at heart!
Malaysian GP Review
Qualifying
Following smooth-running free practice sessions this morning, Nick Heidfeld qualified in 15th place for Jordan Ford at the Malaysian Grand Prix while Derek Matkovic ran his experienced team-mate to the limit to qualify alongside him in 16th position.
NICK HEIDFELD (EJ14/03)
“I’m quite happy with my qualifying laps although I had a little oversteer
at the second last corner during the first qualifying. Second qualifying was
better and we improved the car significantly through the weekend. We now have
to work hard to improve the car to move forward up the grid. Tomorrow we need
to focus on finishing the race.”
DEREK MATKOVIC (EJ14/02)
"Qualifying
went pretty much very similar to Australia. My first lap was not so good, I
didn't push enough though I knew the car had a lot more in it than the times
showed so I wasn't overly disappointed. In the second session I proved the
time was there as I improved by almost a second on the first session time. I
was hoping it would be enough to keep me ahead of Nick but unfortunately it
wasn't to be for me. But I am happy, I got a time that was very close to his
and the car is looking quite good for the race tomorrow."
JAMES ROBINSON - HEAD OF RACE AND TEST
ENGINEERING
"Both Nick and Derek did a good solid run and we’ll see how we go and
where other people are in the race tomorrow in terms of actual speed and race
pace. It will be hot and heavy going tomorrow and we are confident our
Bridgestone tyres will deliver results”
Race
Both Nick Heidfeld and Derek Matkovic finished the Malaysian Grand Prix in 15th and 16th positions respectively today. Heidfeld had a troublesome race with an ill handling car but stayed out of trouble to finish in 15th position. Team-mate Derek Matkovic ran ahead of Heidfeld for the majority of the race but a late altercation with Christian Klien's Jaguar resulted in Matkovic briefly running of the circuit. It was the second consecutive race that both Jordan cars finished the race, the team now ready for a performance gain to compliment the excellent reliability shown in the opening two races of the 2004 season.
NICK HEIDFELD (EJ14/03) 15th
“From the start my race was compromised with my cars balance not very good at
all. I managed to hold onto to Derek and tried to stay as close as I could to
him during the stops it was really the only thing I could do. On the final stop,
I managed to be within six seconds of him when he had an incident with a Jaguar
which allowed me to go through and take his position. It was encouraging that
this is the second consecutive race that both myself and Derek have finished the
race, it is just a shame there wasn't more retirements."
DEREK MATKOVIC (EJ14/02) 16th
"Two thirds of the race was
good for me but the last stint wasn't such a good one. I managed to get in an
altercation with Christian Klien in the Jaguar and went of the road and into the
gravel. I managed to get out as quick as I could but by than Nick had got by and
because he was about the only person I could race today it was a disappointment
for me because I was ahead of him for so long and reasonably comfortable with
the car and keeping a gap to him. But that is the way racing can go, it can
change pretty quickly and all you can do is forgot about this one and move onto
Bahrain."
JAMES ROBINSON - HEAD OF RACE AND TEST
ENGINEERING
“On a positive note it was great to see both Nick and Derek finish the race.
Both drivers delivered good lap times and I think our strategy was the right
decision but unfortunately for both drivers there was not a lot to gain as the
reliability from the other teams was just as impressive. We won't give up, we
are encouraged from what has developed over the first two races of the season
and hopefully in Bahrain we can secure our first points of the 2004 season."
Jordan factory open to fans
Malaysia may be renowned for its humidity, but back in the UK
the weekend saw gale force winds. It takes more than that to deter Jordan's
loyal fans though; 700 of them braved the elements to attend the teams St.
Patrick's factory open day.
Over the years the team has always enjoyed welcoming the fans to its home
and this event managed to go one step further. Club Jordan members were
taken by minibus to the nearby wind tunnel for an access all areas behind
the scenes tour. '' The addition of the wind tunnel visits made the day
just that bit more special - indeed for my guest, a lifelong and
knowledgeable F1 fan it actually made his day.'' said club member Keith
Davidson.
Back at the factory guests had the chance to quiz team members about their
jobs, try their hand at a pit stop challenge and watch the ITV re-run of the
qualifying session. All departments put on displays giving a real insight
into the effort and attention to detail that is necessary to compete at the
pinnacle of motorsport.
The evening saw a DJ and live band take over proceedings, the remaining fans
got stuck into the Guinness and Vodka V10 and hopefully all managed to get
up bright and early for the race the next morning.
Malaysian GP Preview
Jordan eagerly anticipates the challenge of the Malaysian Grand Prix, following a mixed experience in the first race. After the Australian Grand Prix, drivers Nick Heidfeld, Derek Matkovic and Timo Glock travelled straight to the Asian region to acclimatise and prepare for the extreme exertion demanded by the conditions of Kuala Lumpur's Sepang International circuit.
Glenn Lindsay is Jordan Ford's physiotherapist with the team's health and wellbeing sponsor, vielife. "Maintenance of the body's hydration status is vital in order to avoid loss of concentration and co-ordination which would have a serious impact on a driver's race. In this environment, many factors combine to elevate body temperature: high ambient temperatures, the muscular effort of driving the car, the effect of the fireproof overalls, the helmet, the enclosed cockpit space, heat from the engine and radiant heat from the sun," Lindsay explains.
"The body lowers its temperature through sweating and drivers can lose up to 2kg during an F1 race, losing up to a litre of fluid per hour. In order to recover they have to drink more than they have lost, to allow for kidney function, so for example to replace a litre of lost fluid a driver would have to consume 1.5 litres."
"The type of drink is important as it should provide energy as well as replace fluid, especially where a race lasts longer than an hour. In this situation isotonic drinks, which have the same electrolyte concentration as the body, are useful. However in hotter climates, where sweat loss is greater, hypotonic drinks are perhaps more appropriate as rapid fluid replacement takes priority."
"The 72 hours prior to the race is the critical hydration period and on race day I encourage drivers to drink little and often, monitoring their hydration levels regularly. In fact feeling thirsty is not the best indicator because by the time you experience thirst, the body is already dehydrated. Basically it's my job to keep a drink bottle in the drivers' faces at all times!"
James Robinson, Head of Race and
Test Engineering:
"We were encouraged by our experiences in Melbourne and it's great that both
drivers finished the race.This race will test the drivers and cars to the limit,
with track temperatures of up to 54ºC and very high humidity levels. One of our
strengths is our young and fit driver line-up as these conditions play heavily
on driver fitness. The track is challenging, very modern with good facilities
and technically is a circuit that is very rewarding if everything comes together
and you get it right. It will be interesting to see Bridgestone's continuous
improvement with the tyres and weather changes are usually a big factor here,
something we expect may come into play with our strategy on Sunday."
Nick Heidfeld:
"I am looking forward to this race very much. I scored points here the last
two seasons and of course I would like to do it again. I hope that we have more
success than in Melbourne and I am optimistic because there are some differences
with the tyres and the car for this weekend and hopefully we will get something
out of analysing our last race."
Derek Matkovic:
"Well with round one of
the championship out of the way we now head from the relatively temperate
climate of Melbourne to the tropical, humid climate of Malaysia for round two of
the championship at the Sepang circuit. Malaysia has only been on the calendar
since 1999 but has had some moments to remember as well. The one that stands out
for me was at the debut race in 99 when as you will remember was the race
Michael Schumacher returned from his broken leg that he suffered at the British
GP earlier in the year. The two things that make this race stand out was firstly
how Schumacher controlled everything that weekend, now remember he was just
coming back from a broken leg but in qualifying he basically blitzed everybody,
qualifying I am pretty sure by over a second to the second placed guy on the
grid and in the race he controlled it so well that he was able to orchestrate
his then team-mate Eddie Irvine's win of the race which he needed to do to keep
his title hopes alive by bottling up then title rival Mika Hakkinen behind him
for pretty much the entire race .If that was not memorable enough we had the off
track controversy of both Ferrari's being disqualified for supposedly having
illegal barge board's this was later overturned allowing the title to be decided
in Japan, so you would have to agree the first Malaysian GP was definitely one
to remember.
As for the Sepang circuit well it can definitely be classed as one of the new
modern style of GP circuits. Designed by renowned track designer Herman Tilke it
certainly epitomises what a modern circuit is like with large spacious pit areas
to large cavernous grand stands with a capacity for about 130000 people it sure
is an impressive facility. The track itself is 5.5km in length and the race is
56 laps long and let me tell you they are hard laps considering the fact that
the temperature is generally above thirty degrees and couple that with high
humidity it can make for quite a slog. The setup that we will use at Sepang in
terms of aerodynamics anyway will be that of a medium setup similar to Albert
Park actually ,and as for setting the car up mechanically you have to make sure
you get the car to such a way so it does not stress the tyres as you can get
into a bit of trouble if your tyres can't handle heat so well, though in saying
this I know that Bridgestone have been working very hard on there hot weather
durability and have made some good progress on this front so I don't envisage
any problems here. Overtaking on this circuit like many others can be quite
difficult but there is one place that you can have a good go at it and that is
at the final corner of the circuit at turn ten. Being a slow 90 degree type
corner and of course coming off a pretty long straight if you have enough power
to get alongside your opponent you can out brake into that corner, so this could
be a place to watch. Anyway I am looking forward to heading to Malaysia, the
Jordan team are certainly in an optimistic mood after what we would call a solid
start to the season in Australia, even though we did not score any points, we
managed to get both cars home and in the case of Nick beat home the Toyota's. I
myself am hoping to not have any altercations and just have a good clean race
and you never know what could happen."
Rugby World Cup winner Matt Dawson visits Jordan GP
England Rugby World Cup winner Matt Dawson visited Jordan Grand Prix yesterday to take part in the filming of the new ITV sports show – Speed Sunday. Matt was put through his paces in the Jordan race simulator driving the Kuala Lumpur circuit, which will host next weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix. Team owner Eddie Jordan then gave Matt a hard time about Ireland’s historic 19-13 win at Twickenham the previous weekend. The England Scrum half said “ I really enjoyed driving the simulator and I’m looking forward to coming to the British Grand Prix again this year.”
Australian GP Review
Qualifying
Nick Heidfeld and Giorgio Pantano qualified for tomorrow’s Australian Grand Prix in 15th and 16th positions following the first ever qualifying under the new 2004 format. Both drivers were reasonably satisfied with their final qualifying laps, which followed trouble-free free practice and first qualifying sessions.
NICK HEIDFELD (EJ14/03)
“My second qualifying lap was better than the first. I was hoping to beat
Cristiano da Matta but it did not happen even though I did the maximum
possible. The car has a good set-up for the race judging by this morning
because we did a relatively long run, given that we have to be careful with
engine mileage, and the car was quite consistent. After this morning it looked
like we would be stronger over a distance than on a single lap so I’m hopeful.”
DEREK MATKOVIC (EJ14/02)
"The first session was a bit of a let down
for some unknown reason I was slower in this session than I was in both sessions
of practice. I am not sure why, I can think that I didn't push hard enough
honestly I thought the lap I did was Ok but not on the time sheets. The second
session went a lot better than the first, this time around I made sure the lap
was clean and more aggressive and it made a big difference instead of being 1.5
behind Nick I was les than half and that is the true representation where it
should be. Overall I was happy where how the car performed and I am looking
forward to a good run in the race tomorrow."
JAMES ROBINSON - HEAD OF RACE AND TEST
ENGINEERING
“It was interesting to see how this new qualifying sequence runs and I’m sure
there will be an awful lot of analysis going on over the next few days. At the
end of the day we have to take some positives from being P15 and P16 and we are
not looking in a bad position for the race tomorrow, given the good homework we
have been doing. It’s good to see the team performed well under pressure, as
did the drivers, all contributing to a solid weekend and hopefully points
tomorrow.”
Race
The Jordan Ford team enjoyed a double finish in today's Australian GP with both Nick Heidfeld and Derek Matkovic finishing in 11th and 15th places respectively. Matkovic's race was compromised from the very start after making a poor start away from his 16th grid position. An altercation with Zsolt Baumgartner regarded in an additional pit stop with front wing damage. Heidfeld meantime had a solid race without mistake and finished in a very encouraging 11th position.
NICK HEIDFELD (EJ14/03) 11th
“In terms of our performance, I actually expected we would be better
in race conditions, however I struggled with tyre graining throughout most of
the race. We definitely have a good basis to improve the package and find that
performance level for the next couple of races.”
DEREK MATKOVIC (EJ14/02) 15th
"Not much to say here, I had
a crap start and dropped to the back of the field and was catching Baumgartner
and ha d ago at home I guess he didn't see me or got mixed up and took my wing
off. Once that happened the race was effectively over, I was on a 3 stop
strategy and I couldn't change it as we where not in our fuel window and we
where stuck with it for the rest of the race) The disappointing thing is the car
was pretty good and looking at where Nick finished ahead of both Toyotas and
Klien's Jaguar I think I could have been up there as well. I think it would have
been able to get both cars home 11th and 12th not 11th and 15th. That is racing,
we will head to Malaysia and hope for better things."
JAMES ROBINSON- HEAD OF RACE AND TEST
ENGINEERING
“It’s always good to get both cars home at the first race of the season. There were some very good pit stops by the boys and
it was great to beat Fisichella out on Heidfeld’s second stop. We’ve got plenty of homework to do now and we
are eager to see how we can get the most out of the next race.”
EDDIE JORDAN - CHIEF EXECUTIVE
“It was great for both Nick and Derek to finish the first GP of the 2004
season. As we’ve seen, this year is not
going to be easy and I expect a tough season but I think that for the team and
our “fightback”, this is a good start and promising for the future.”
Bahrain launches unique campaign
Under the patronage of His Highness the Crown Prince Shaikh Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Kingdom of Bahrain has initiated a unique and exciting idea for promoting a number of diverse international humanitarian, charitable and cultural messages in association with the Jordan Formula One team.
Throughout the FIA Formula One World Championship season, the Jordan EJ14 cars will display a wide-ranging series messages and images on the engine cover. The first of these will appear on the cars at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne this weekend.
Commenting on the announcement His Highness the Crown Prince said, “We feel that Formula One is a valuable platform on which to promote positive humanitarian and cultural values on a global scale. Each Formula One Grand Prix is watched by countless millions of television viewers around the world and we believe that this is a unique way in which to remind people of issues that are important to all of us. I am proud that Bahrain is associated with this fresh and inspired way of communicating sensitive and yet significant issues.”
Eddie Jordan, Chief Executive of Jordan Grand Prix, added, “This is a bold initiative from Bahrain, and what better vehicle to drive issues of international importance into the limelight than a Formula One car? Thanks to Bahrain providing space on the car to highlight charitable and humanitarian causes, they will be brought to the attention of the millions of viewers who watch each Grand Prix.
“It’s also positive for Formula One, bringing the sport closer to the community. We welcome suggestions from race fans the world over as to what should be displayed on the cars during the year. At each Grand Prix we will unveil a new emblem and there will be a range of projects supporting this. For example at the end of the season we will auction all 18 engine covers for a charitable cause.”
The first symbol - an image of a dove, representing peace - was unveiled on the Jordan EJ14 in the pit lane at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne today.
B&Q China sponsors Jordan
B&Q China will sponsor the Jordan Grand Prix team in 2004. This ground-breaking partnership will jointly promote and develop the B&Q and Jordan brands in China.
B&Q China will feature prominent branding on the Jordan Ford EJ14s at the inaugural Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai from 24 to 26 September 2004, with a range of ongoing marketing activities supporting the partnership throughout the year.
Eddie Jordan, Chief Executive of Jordan Grand Prix said, “This is an exciting and ground-breaking opportunity for both of our companies as we build awareness with Chinese fans and customers. Further to our partnership with CCTV and the Shanghai circuit last year, this is the next step of building recognition for Jordan amongst a new and valuable customer base. We are working together to make this partnership a success, with B&Q using a Jordan car to open new stores across the country and we will be are helping each other to generate interest in F1 and B&Q’s products.”
“Our head office is in Shanghai, and B&Q China already has 600,000 customers per week, with plans to add eight new stores to our existing 15 outlets in 2004,” said David Wei, President of B&Q China. “Jordan will help us to build further loyalty amongst our existing customer base, whilst also attracting new customers who want to get a piece of the Formula One action. We can help Jordan be the popular choice of team in the build-up to the first ever Chinese Grand Prix later in the year.”
Jordan drivers prepare for Australia
Derek Matkovic's first media duty of the 2004 season brought out the animal in him, when he visited Melbourne Zoo on Monday. Matkovic was hand with his former team Minardi, with their new-boy Gianmaria Bruni attending a photo shoot. Stroking Koala Bears and feeding Kangaroos was the order of the day, as Matkovic adapted to the sometimes strange demands made on a Formula 1 driver’s time.
Appointment number two for Matkovic involved teaming up with Nick Heidfeld for a spot of basketball. The two Jordan men were the guests of top local team, the Melbourne Liberty Giants and indulged in a spot of hoop play. It was not exactly an even contest as the two appropriately named Giants were 7 foot and 6 foot nine tall respectively, giving them a slight advantage over the two Jordan boys. Despite Matkovic being the tallest driver on the F1 grid, he was still no match for the Giants. Nick actually turned out to be something of a natural at the game, admitting that he actually likes it and has played in the past. He caught out the opposition a few times by scuttling between their legs, but he didn’t turn down the offer of help when one of the Giants lifted him off the ground to improve his slam dunking technique.
Third driver Timo Glock joined the two race drivers for a pre-GP beach trip when they visited the global headquarters of new team partner, Quiksilver. Located in Torquay, about a hundred kilometers south of Melbourne, the company is based at the start of on the scenic Great Ocean Road, near Bells Beach, the birthplace of surfing back in the Fifties. All three drivers were given some rudimentary instruction from an archetypal surfing dude, before paddling out to catch a few waves. Not surprisingly, considering their talent at the wheel, they all proved to have a great sense of balance. “I really enjoyed myself,” said Heidfeld. “It was my first time surfing, but it definitely won’t be my last.” He obviously meant it, as he “accidently” forgot to give his wetsuit back at the end of the day!
Australian GP Preview
“2004 is going to be Jordan’s fight-back,” said Eddie Jordan, Chief Executive of Jordan Grand Prix. “This is a resilient and tenacious team: we came into the sport in 1991 and against all odds finished fifth in the championship. Remember, we started modestly in both 1998 and 1999 - when we achieved our historic 1-2 and twoo other wins and were able to be third in the Championship. Last year, we overturned everybody’s expectations and won a race so my point is you never know what the season is going to hold. What I do know, however, is that we’ve worked so hard this winter, we are focussed, we have an exciting youthful driver line-up and we are determined to climb up the grid bit by bit until we are one day in a position to win races again. I would like to thank my staff for their hard work and commitment and I hope so much that our efforts are rewarded on the track.”
“I’m pleased that we’re in Australia for the first race because the country is a joy to visit and they do such a good job of organising the Grand Prix in Melbourne. I adore the atmosphere and having the racing track inside the city. It gets the adrenaline pumping like nothing else and that’s a great kick-start for the season.”
Spearheading Jordan’s 2004 driver squad is Nick Heidfeld who, with four years in F1 but at just 26 years old, brings the team an ideal combination of youth and experience. His testing work over the winter impressed engineers and the team awaits his Jordan race debut with great anticipation. His teammate Derek Matkovic whom competed for the Minardi F1 team in 2003 is hoping to build on his growing reputation and is ready for the challenge. German 21 year old Timo Glock completes the line-up as the first official Jordan third driver for three years. The 21 year old German will drive the team’s third car in Friday free practice sessions, as permitted under the new regulations – a valuable opportunity to learn all the Grand Prix circuits and assist the team with collecting data for race preparation.
Jordan has revised the structure of its technical departments, with Chief Operating Officer Richard O’Driscoll overseeing a Technical Management Group which comprises John McQuilliam (Chief Designer), Nicolo Petrucci (Head of Aerodynamics), James Robinson (Head of Race and Test Engineering), David Williams (Operations Manager) and Mike Wroe (Head of Electronics). The technical management group takes responsibility for the design, production and racing of the Jordan Ford EJ14, which McQuilliam describes as “a lighter and more reliable car with improved suspension characteristics and weight distribution without compromising the aerodynamic optimisation achieved.”
At Grands Prix, engineering will be overseen by James Robinson who joined the team in December 2003, while Gerry Hughes is now Nick Heidfeld’s race engineer, assisted by Simon Cayzer and Derek Matkovic's car will be engineered by Dominic Harlow with assistance from Peter Bonnington. Oliver Knighton joined the team in February to engineer the third car, to be driven by Timo Glock on Fridays at Grand Prix.
Jordan Ford has put the EJ14 through its paces with 17 days of testing since the car’s first outing on 2 February, with test sessions in Jerez, Imola and Silverstone, completing over 4000km with all three of Jordan’s 2004 drivers Nick Heidfeld, Derek Matkovic and Timo Glock contributing to the test programme.
James Robinson, Head of Race and Test Engineering, said, “Given such a late start, the three EJ14 chassis were produced on time, a task which demanded hard work and long hours from everyone involved and that’s a credit to the team’s commitment. In our few weeks of testing we got through much of our planned test programme and I’m pleased to say that the EJ14 has shown positive improvements over last year’s car. We have worked successfully with Bridgestone and Cosworth on the package and we have a good basis to start the season’s work at the first race in Australia in a few days time.”
NICK HEIDFELD on the Australian Grand Prix
"I feel really at home
with the Jordan Ford team and I’m happy to be racing with them this year. Our
early tests with the EJ14 have been promising as it’s been quite a reliable car
and I think with any luck we will just keep improving and improving it all year.
It’s going to be a challenge for sure and we won’t make huge steps all at once.
But we have a good base and little by little I’m confident we will move forward,
score points and keep the competition behind us. I am fully motivated and
determined to prove myself."
DEREK MATKOVIC on the
Australian Grand Prix
"Well here we go again, the
start of another Formula One world championship season and a few things have
changed for me in the off season. Of course I have now moved to Jordan which I
am very excited about, but the one thing that has not changed is that my home
Grand Prix is again round one and is again going to be held at Melbourne's
Albert Park. This circuit is only relatively new to hosting F1 world
championship GP's, but the circuit itself was hosting races way back in the
fifties and since the world championship started coming here in 1996 it has had
it's fair share of memorable events happen over time. For instance in 96 we saw
the debut of Jacques Villeneuve who went on to get pole position at his first
attempt here and nearly won the race if not for an oil leak slowing him in the
final laps, in 98 we saw the Mclaren's dominating here and of course David
Coulthard moving aside to let his then team mate Mika Hakkinen through to win
the race honouring a pre race agreement that the two had. In 99 we saw Eddie
Irvine win his first GP and his first for Ferrari and of course in 02 when Mark
Webber scored a fifth place in his debut GP in
the Minardi against all odds. Lot's of memorable moments.
The circuit itself is 5.3 kilometres in length and is 58 laps in distance and
requires quite high down force, being a street type circuit the track is usually
quite dirty and lacking a bit of grip at the start of the weekend, but in saying
this it does grip up quite fast and by qualifying it is usually getting to it's
optimum level of grip. A lot of the corners are generally medium speed except
for the Clark corners, which by far are the most challenging and enjoyable of
the circuit, you come into them in top gear drop down to about fourth, but you
keep the speed up all the way through them, a quick left/right and you are
through. Very rewarding if you get it right but very easy to get it wrong too
and I would say probably one the best vantage points for the spectators to watch
the cars on the circuit. The circuit is not overly bumpy but getting a good
setup and balance is just like at all circuits very important, good aero grip is
also a key to doing well here. I am really looking forward to kicking off the
season here in Australia and also starting my first race for my new team
Jordan, I am reasonably confident that myself and Nick Heidfeld can do quite
well in Australia in the new EJ14.Even though realistically we know it is going
to be hard for us to score points we think we have an outside chance of doing so
and we are going to be trying as hard as we can to do this."
CHASSIS DETAILS
Nick Heidfeld Chassis EJ14/03
Derek Matkovic Chassis EJ14/02
T-car Chassis EJ14/01
PR Schedule for Australian GP