BRITISH GRAND PRIX, SILVERSTONE, 18 - 20 JULY 2003

Jordan Ford will be on home territory for this weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the team’s headquarters being located within sight of the Northamptonshire racing circuit which housed Eddie Jordan’s lock-up garage premises when he entered F1 thirteen years ago. After some disappointing results in recent races the team is feeling positive about its home Grand Prix as there have been a number of opportunities for the team to test at this track.

Gary Anderson, Director of Race and Test Engineering, explains, "Silverstone is a fairly tough circuit which is challenging in every respect, however, we’ve had a couple of tests here so I believe we’ve got a reasonable base line to start from this weekend. Over the last couple of races we seem to have lost our way a little bit but hopefully we’ve got ourselves back together again and will improve over the weekend.

"I believe that Bridgestone will be advantageous here, which may give us a better opportunity and also the changeable weather forecast might work in our favour. On the basis of the testing we’ve done at Silverstone, the car hasn’t been too bad. It seems to handle well, we have a few small updates and we have a good idea of which direction we should be going with set-up.

"With regards to our performance, it’s important to look at the big picture. Going back a couple of races, although the Canadian Grand Prix was frustrating because the cars didn’t finish, we actually had a reasonable car which was 9th or 10th quickest in the race laps. At the European Grand Prix, we didn’t have a good car in terms of set-up so at the French Grand Prix we tried something different to find some lap time. With hindsight maybe we did the wrong thing at the wrong time and instead of moving forwards to 6th or 7th we went backwards. But you have to keep looking for new things. You can’t just sit back and accept what you’ve got as there are constant developments and improvements to find. Sometimes changes work, sometimes they don’t but you have to take that risk - if you don’t try something different, you’re not looking and you may not find that crucial one or two extra tenths of a second.

"We will go out at Silverstone with a reasonably stable set-up package and work from there. It would be good to get a points result here as it’s great to be racing at home and I hope we can put on a good show for the fans."

Testing information

Ralph Firman carried out two days of testing for Jordan Ford at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya on 9 and 10 July, adding 125 laps to his F1 mileage and concentrating on general set-up work along with tyre testing for Bridgestone, brake testing and aerodynamic work, with the team reporting beneficial results.

Eddie Jordan

"Racing at Silverstone is like coming home in many ways. It’s the only chance that factory-based staff get to watch our cars race, and see their hard work coming to fruition. And the encouragement from our fans thrills me each year, particularly with all the dedicated supporters from Ireland who come over for this event."

Giancarlo Fisichella

"I was disappointed with our weekend in France so I’ve been focusing my energy on preparing for Silverstone. I would be most happy if the weather turns and we have a wet race because so far this year my car has performed well in rainy conditions and I think it’s our best chance of getting a decent result. This weekend I will be giving 100% as always because I know that my team are working extremely hard to provide me with a competitive car."

Ralph Firman

"I’ve been enjoying a busy schedule since the last race, with two days of testing in Barcelona, participating in the hill climb at Goodwood Festival of Speed and a variety of sponsor and media activity in the build-up to my home race. It’s been good to get more time in the car and to experience the support there is for me in Britain and Ireland. Although Silverstone is a tricky circuit, it’s one I know from testing and I’m looking forward to the challenge. I can’t wait to race in front of the home crowd and I’m looking to score points."

Jost Capito, Director, Ford Team RS

"The British Grand Prix is always a race to get excited about. There is an amazing history of motorsport in the country and Silverstone is, of course, the home venue for Jordan Ford. With the second half of the Formula One season now well underway it is clear that it is getting tougher out on the track. It should pay off that we have done most of our testing at Silverstone and, with the support of the home crowd, we will be setting our sights on gaining more points."