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Following on from a disappointing weekend at Silverstone, the Jordan team are now assembling in Hockenheim for the German Grand Prix, hoping for a similar qualifying performance followed by a much better race than two weeks ago.
Travelling through the small village of Hockenheim you could be forgiven for thinking that you�ve taken a wrong turn on the way to the Hockenheimring, before seeing the circuit�s main entrance which almost looks out of place.
Heinz-Harald Frentzen
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Nestled deep in the forest, the circuit is one of the fastest on the F1 calendar with incredibly long straights that force teams to use a low downforce wing set-up in order to achieve maximum straight line speed. However, in the interest of safety, this fast �loop� is broken by three chicanes and the low downforce may need to be compromised as it hampers the cars� handling through the twisty and slow stadium section of the track.
All of the circuit�s grandstands are located in this area and when full, provide an awesome noise and sight. The best opportunities for overtaking are under braking at the end of the long straights, although the track is quite narrow. Hockenheim was originally built as a proving ground for Mercedes road cars and the circuit will undergo revisions after this year�s Grand Prix. The new track will cut through the forest to reduce its length to 4.5 kilometres, allowing for better access and spectator viewing.
Jarno Trulli
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�Hockenheim doesn�t compare to any other circuit on the calendar,� says Heinz-Harald Frentzen. �The long and fast straights are great but you always want more power to go faster still. The short infield stadium section at the end of the track is so different from the rest of the circuit that it�s almost like racing on two different tracks. This makes it challenging to find a good compromise with the car�s set-up. It would be good to have another podium finish here, especially as it�s my home turf.�
�Jordan has always performed quite well at Hockenheim,� points out Jarno Trulli. �I raced at this circuit six times in the German Formula 3 Championship and won six times. It�s also the track where I scored my first Formula One points (with Prost in 1997), so all this adds to my confidence on this track and optimism for the Grand Prix weekend there.
"The German crowds still recognise me from my F3 days and I always receive a good reception in Hockenheim which is great. Together with Monza, Hockenheim has one of the best Grand Prix atmospheres, with so many people camping in the woods and the huge crowds filling the incredible grandstands in the stadium area.�
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