'Everything went according to plan,' said Frentzen. 'It was the normal situation of preparing for the race. The car feels okay but, for sure, it is going to be a long and tough Grand Prix. The temperatures will be high and it will be hard on the car, tyres - and the driver. Our main concern has been working out how to keep a good balance on the car all the way through 77 laps.'

The damage caused when Trulli ran over a kerb yesterday morning was worse than at first thought. The discovery of a bent suspension part was a double-edged sword; it explained Jarno's subsequent handling problems but meant the set-up work was in vain with the car in this state yesterday.

Starting from scratch with a new set-up this morning, Trulli was 11th fastest.

'With the suspension fixed, I found the car was oversteering this morning,' said Trulli. 'All the set-up work we had done was wasted and I spent this morning trying to sort out the situation. It's going to be very difficult enough starting from the sixth row of the grid without this added complication.'

David Coulthard reported no problems with his McLaren while on his way to setting fastest time. Michael Schumacher, who will start from pole in his Ferrari, also had a trouble-free session. The only casualty was Eddie Irvine when his Jaguar suffered a gearbox failure.

Jordan Grand Prix