'It's been a very interesting day,' said Frentzen. 'We tried different set-ups and went in various directions as we learned about a race track which is new to everyone. It was very important to have a trouble-free first day and that's how it worked out. We collected as much data as possible and achieved a lot. It's a fun circuit to drive, the banked section making the characteristics very different to any other track we use. The learning will continue during tomorrow.'

Trulli had been recording near-identical times to Frentzen until his Jordan suddenly cut out and stopped.

'Apart from that, it has been a positive day,' said Trulli. 'We worked through the list of jobs and, although that went well, it is difficult at this stage to figure out whether or not we will be competitive. Certainly, we don't seem to be slow! There is a lot to discover about this track and we have to try different levels of downforce and decide which direction to take. Also, the track is getting faster all the time as more rubber goes down, so hopefully we will continue the good progress tomorrow.'

Jordan Grand Prix