Heinz-Harald Frentzen, who had a minor clutch problem, set sixth fastest time on a drying track. Jarno Trulli, who ran both his race car and the spare car, was third fastest.

A change in weather conditions on race morning brought added importance to the warm-up. Heinz-Harald Frentzen, who had a minor clutch problem, set sixth fastest time on a drying track. Jarno Trulli, who ran both his race car and the spare car, was third fastest.

Heavy overnight rain had washed the circuit of the rubber built up over the previous two days. The track was wet at the start of the warm-up but, even though the circuit had begun to dry out in the warm, humid conditions, the racing line was not dry enough for grooved slick tyres at the end of the 30-minute session. Benson & Hedges Jordan Honda, in common with many teams, tried intermediate tyres in the closing stages of the warm-up.

'Jarno had no problems with either car,' said Trevor Foster, Managing Director, Benson and Hedges Jordan Honda. 'Heinz had a small clutch problem on his last run - we don't know if it was a hydraulic problem or the electrics - but, other than that, everything was fine. We spent the warm-up checking out the different tyres and where the cross-over might be in lap times between the wets and the intermediates.

'Obviously, with all the rubber having been washed off, the grip level was very low, which is normal, but the track was never dry enough to use grooved slicks. Given another five minutes, and it would have been. Now we have to sit down with this additional information and work out the various
options we may have to deal with in the race.'

Rubens Barrichello, running intermediate tyres, was fastest with a time which was 14 seconds off his team-mate's pole position lap from Saturday. Neither Michael Schumacher (seventh fastest) nor Barrichello said they had any problems. David Coulthard, also on intermediates, was second fastest, but still concerned about handling problems with his McLaren. Mika Hakkinen, who stayed on full wet tyres throughout, was 13th fastest.

There were no problems for either Williams driver even though Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya ran intermediates and were 11th and 12th fastest respectively.

Eddie Irvine's warm-up was disrupted early on when his engine cut out and stranded the Jaguar driver on the circuit. He returned to the pits on foot in time to take the back-up car. Giancarlo Fisichella spun his Benetton twice while team-mate Jenson Button only completed four laps, the Englishman having waited in vain for the track to dry completely.

Jordan Grand Prix