F1 - Galmorous ?

The more glamorous side of F1?

F1 might be glamorous but testing sure isn�t!

The picture of Formula 1 that we all get on a Grand Prix race day is one of glamour and money. Celebrities and models line the pit wall, driver managers are negotiating seven or eight figure salaries, and Eddie Irvine is talking about girls and the size of his pay packet.
A week spent at the Jordan Grand Prix factory might well dismiss those thoughts however. Almost certainly, in fact, if the week in question was June 11th � 17th 2001.

With 20 tonnes of equipment back from a long-haul race, the Canadian Grand Prix, to be unloaded from new freight carriers, three cars to be stripped, painted and re-built for two weekends of back to back racing, plus a three day, two car test at Silverstone watched by 1,000 sponsors and guests, the past seven days are arguably the busiest Jordan's HQ will see in 2001.

Jim Vale, Jordan's Team Manager.

"Along with the few days of the final build of the EJ11 chassis back in January and the week of the British Grand Prix itself, there is no question that we have just had the busiest week in the calendar," explains Jordan's Team Manager, Jim Vale. "If anyone thinks F1 is glamorous, they should see the amount of work undertaken since our return from Canada � it's incredible, but it's also what gives every one of us in the team a real buzz. It's pure pressure to get the job done in double quick time � the races won't wait for us after all!"

Freight returned from Canada on Wednesday morning, cutting the usual five day turnaround down by 24 hours. An additional complication was added by the fact that Jordan has just undergone a change in its freight carrying arrangements, from standard boxes to a palletised system, meaning the truckies were coping with new logistics for the unloading of equipment. Last week, the team also took delivery of a new trailer that incorporates a new design with an additional four metres of carrying space, meaning loads had to be re-organised. The fact that the European and French Grands Prix will take place on consecutive weekends added a further burden to last week's work schedule, with the need to arrange for extra spares to be packed on the race trucks.

"The additional equipment and spares needed for two races increased the preparation and organisation time," explains Vale. "We also put plans in place to ensure back up is available. Spare parts will require servicing in between the races, so a van carrying these parts will leave Nurburgring for Jordan's Silverstone based factory on Sunday evening after the race, returning the parts to Magny-Cours a few days later.

The Jordan HQ is a hive of activity.

This way, we can cover any eventuality that may arise. The majority of team personnel will not return back to base after Nurburgring, so the cars will be prepared for the French Grand Prix on Sunday evening and Monday morning following the European Grand Prix, with the race trucks ready to depart for Magny-Cours on Monday afternoon."

Whilst work progresses on the cars, the team's much practised and efficient garage pack-up will ensure the truck transporting the garage equipment departs for France on Sunday evening, ahead of the cars, thereby enabling the garages at the Magny-Cours circuit to be built in time for the arrival of the three EJ11's on Tuesday morning. "It's a demanding schedule for the team," continues Vale. "The mechanics arrive in Magny-Cours on Tuesday afternoon after only one day off, and the truckies have no real rest at all, so it is a huge team effort."