Jordan Ford worked hard overnight and this morning to improve the EJ14’s balance, with Nick Heidfeld and Giorgio Pantano demonstrating the car’s better handling by finishing 13th and 15th in the team’s best qualifying result of the season, also putting Jordan in the top qualifying positions for Bridgestone-shod cars after the Ferraris.

 

NICK HEIDFELD (EJ14/03) 13th 1:31.604

"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 the Saubers – 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."

 

GIORGIO PANTANO (EJ14/02) 15th 1:31.979

"I’m disappointed that I didn’t deliver my best on that lap. I was not completely on the limit and although for the first two sectors I was just a few hundredths of a second off Nick’s time, I messed up the last sector when I made a mistake on the last corner at the chicane. When you know you could have been better it’s very frustrating and I think I would have been at least three tenths quicker if I had got a perfect lap. On the positive side, we improved quite a lot from this morning and yesterday, when it was not going so well. I believe we have a good consistent race car so let’s see what happens tomorrow."

 

JAMES ROBINSON

HEAD OF RACE AND TEST ENGINEERING

"We are pleased with P13 and P15, our best qualifying so far in 2004 and it’s good to be ahead of the Saubers, a Jaguar and one of the McLarens 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!"