01/04/2005
NEWS STORY
Jordan Grand Prix drivers Tiago Monteiro, Narain Karthikeyan and Robert Doornbos began the weekend with a smooth-running Free Practice day today with no mechanical problems or damage to their cars at the spectacular but demanding 5.417-km Bahrain International Circuit. They completed their various programmes despite a dusty and sandy surface, which affected grip levels especially in the opening session but improved considerably in the afternoon. Karthikeyan had the quickest lap time of the three.
Tiago Monteiro: It is very interesting to go to new tracks as you always have so much to learn and try in a limited amount of time. I am happy with the changes we have made today and the information we have been able to gather for the rest of the weekend. Bridgestone is doing a very good job here and I am pretty confident for tomorrow.
Narain Karthikeyan: I really like the circuit here in Bahrain as it suits my style of driving. We have tried some different new parts in the car; they were small changes but they have already made a significant difference. I have been pretty quick so I am happy with my performance today.
Robert Doornbos: Today was a good day. I have really enjoyed driving on this challenging circuit. The whole team seems to be working very well here and we are definitely more competitive than in Malaysia. Bridgestone has found a good tyre for the weekend, so everything looks positive at the moment. It is a pity I cannot drive tomorrow.
Trevor Carlin: We are very pleased with the way today has gone. We have been through quite a lot of work as the three cars had three different programmes. We have got a reasonable balanced car for Saturday’s qualifying and we are very happy with the performance of the whole team in general.