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Thousands of fans pack themselves into the circuit for the only South American Formula One race of the year. Although resurfaced in 2000, the track remains bumpy. This, coupled with the fact that Interlagos is one of just two circuits that runs in an anti-clockwise direction makes this race one of the toughest and physically demanding for the drivers, putting extra strain on the drivers' muscles. The circuit is built in a very hilly area so there are some steep gradients to the track. The combination of two straights and a section of slow, technical corners in the infield, means there has to be a compromise with car set-up and downforce, which can be further affected by the very changeable tropical weather conditions. The Benson and Hedges Jordan Honda team travels to Brazil hoping to maintain the point scoring form it has shown in the first two races. "Third in the Championship is where the team wants to stay," commented Jordan's Chief Executive, Eddie Jordan.
Benson and Hedges Jordan Honda drivers Jarno Trulli and Heinz-Harald Frentzen were second and eighth fastest at the end of the first day of practice, Trulli having a trouble-free day while Frentzen's running was cut short by a technical problem.
Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Jarno Trulli were sixth and 11th fastest at the end of an eventful morning practice for Benson and Hedges Jordan Honda. Frentzen, not fully satisfied with the handling of his car, suffered an engine failure in the closing minutes of practice while Trulli had very little running thanks to a misfire.
The Benson and Hedges Jordan Hondas will start the Brazilian Grand Prix from the fourth row of the grid after a very close qualifying session. Michael Schumacher comfortably won his seventh successive pole position but the next 10 places were covered by less than a second.
An uneventful warm-up for Benson and Hedges Jordan Honda as Jarno Trulli and Heinz-Harald Frentzen had trouble-free runs on their way to fifth and tenth fastest times respectively. "Everything went according to plan," said Frentzen. "We were running our race set-up as usual and trying various things. There were no problems but we know this is going to be a tough race."
After running third and fourth in the later stages of the race, Benson and Hedges Jordan Honda had to be satisfied with fifth place for Jarno Trulli after Heinz-Harald Frentzen was forced to retire with a technical problem eight laps from the finish. |
