With a history that spans more than 75 years the Nürburgring induces feelings for any motorsport enthusiast. Both Benson and Hedges Jordan drivers Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Jarno Trulli will feel suitably at home on German soil. Frentzen will be returning to his country of origin and Trulli will once again return to the country where in 1996 he won the German F3 Championship.

After finishing sixth in Barcelona the Benson and Hedges Jordan team will be looking for a good finish at the European Grand Prix. Reliability problems that have hampered the team’s performance in earlier races were overcome in Spain, where the team enjoyed a two-car finish. “ We have been upping the mileage on the components that were causing the problems said Mike Gascoyne Technical Director Jordan Grand Prix. “Since Barcelona we have not had any problems and we are very confident that our reliability worries have been put behind us.”

The team tested in Jerez and Danielson this week working on set up and aerodynamics. Commenting on the trouble free week’s test Gascoyne said, “ Both drivers have been very happy with the balance of the car in both wet and dry conditions and we are confident coming into the next race at the Nürburgring.”

The Nürburgring will be a challenge for Benson and Hedges Jordan, as Gascoyne explains. “Nürburgring is a high downforce circuit with little overtaking opportunities like all modern race circuits today. Unlike Barcelona which has traditionally been one of our worst circuits, Nürburgring has been a pretty good circuit for us in the past. We are looking to get back on track this weekend and be the quickest team behind McLaren and Ferrari. We want to score points and put ourselves back into third in the championship.”

The weather may become an important factor and cannot be ruled out. Rain might give Jordan an advantage. “Rain on Saturday and Sunday could play into our hands,” says Gascoyne. “Both Jarno and Heinz-Harald drive well in the wet.”

Commenting on his chances for Nürburgring, Frentzen said, “Ferrari and McLaren should be strong at this track but we want to be right behind them. If they make a mistake, we will be ready to take up the challenge and pass them. The atmosphere will be great with lots of very dedicated fans.” The German driver who will be celebrating his 33rd birthday on Thursday is confident he will put in a good performance. Last year Frentzen showed impressive form qualifying on pole and leading the race for 32 laps before retiring from the race with an electrical fault. “I have very vivid memories from the Nürburgring race last year ”, said Frentzen. “Putting the car on pole in perhaps the most exciting qualifying sessions for the whole season was one of our many highlights of 1999. We then lead the race up to half distance but were deprived from the big prize. We lived through the true definition of a roller-coaster weekend.”

“The Nürburgring is not on the list of my favourite circuits but it does have some fine qualities. It is safe and one of the best circuits for spectators, as they have a good view over a vast part of the track. The Castrol-S at the end of the start/finish line and the Veedol-S at the end of the break straight are the only real overtaking possibilities. Very interesting though is the 190-degree Dunlop corner as it has quite a high banking that offers a high amount of grip.”

Other News:
Eddie Jordan has had a busy week since the Spanish Grand Prix. On Monday 8th May he attended an awards ceremony in central London where Jordan Grand Prix’s commitment to young people was recognised. HRH the Duke of Edinburgh and HRH the Duke of York presented the Jordan boss with the Variety Club of Britain Team Award for charity work undertaken by his F1 team. Later in the week, Jordan played in a four ball at the Benson and Hedges International Golf Open with Coventry City Manager Gordon Strachan and Padraig Harrington.

Jordan Grand Prix