03/05/2005
NEWS STORY
Following an encouraging start of the season for Jordan Grand Prix where both cars proved to be very
reliable with only one retirement in four races, the team is eager to race on the Spanish Circuit de Catalunya.
Although the track is familiar to the three drivers from experience before entering F1 and from winter testing,
it still remains a challenge for them and the car due to the mix of high and low-speed corners and an abrasive and bumpy surface. Since the San Marino Grand Prix, a two-day test was conducted from 27 to 28 April at Silverstone with Narain Karthikeyan, Tiago Monteiro and Nicky Pastorelli, Jordan Grand Prix test driver, sharing driving duties.
Narain Karthikeyan: Barcelona is a track where traction and aerodynamics play an important role because of the long corners and this is the first circuit I know so far this season; therefore I am particularly keen on racing there. We did a lot of work last week at Silverstone, testing Bridgestone tyres and trying to find a good car set-up for the Spanish Grand Prix so we are expecting a reasonable run.
Tiago Monteiro: We know Circuit de Catalunya well for having tested there in winter, as this is the case for most of the teams and drivers. However, this does not necessarily mean that it is going to be easy for us. Most of the teams know exactly how to set up the car on this circuit but I am sure it will be an interesting and challenging weekend. We will definitely do our best, try to finish the race and keep up with our good finishing record. I am really looking forward to it and it will be probably crazy with the Fernando Alonso mania.
Robert Doornbos: I have already had some experience in Barcelona as I raced there last year in F3000 and I went very well there. Jordan Grand Prix has also been testing there in winter so they were already able to gather some helpful information. Last week, the team had a positive test at Silverstone and Bridgestone came up with some really promising tyres for Barcelona but also for the forthcoming races. I am really looking forward to this weekend and especially to driving on Friday.
Trevor Carlin, Sporting Director: We are looking forward to the second European race of the season. We had a very productive test last week at Silverstone, where we did some really good work with Bridgestone. We are hoping to have another strong race performance like we did in Imola two weeks ago. We have a few small aerodynamic developments and hopefully this will go closer to the pace.