Following another positive two-car finish in Monza last weekend, Jordan Grand Prix is heading straight to the very challenging circuit of Spa-Francorchamps, the last European round of the season. Located in the Ardennes forest, Spa-Francorchamps is a fantastic track that is truly a favourite among the drivers and known by the three Jordan Grand Prix drivers. The notorious Eau Rouge is one of the fastest and most challenging corners on the F1 calendar. Unpredictable weather conditions often add to the excitement of this race, where there can be torrential rain at one end of the track whilst it remains dry at the other end. Belgium also brings back good memories to the team, as it has scored more points at Spa than at any other F1 circuit and some of the team's greatest results were achieved here. In 1998 Damon Hill and Ralf Schumacher finished first and second; Giancarlo Fisichella took second place in 1997; with the team having achieved its first pole position with Rubens Barrichello in 1994. Jordan Grand Prix will come to Spa with two EJ15B for Karthikeyan and Monteiro.
Narain Karthikeyan: "I will be driving the new car in Spa so I am very excited about this prospect. I won at Spa in F3 and I enjoy the circuit a lot. Therefore, I am eagerly looking forward to having the opportunity to drive the EJ15B. There is more downforce in Spa than at Monza, so our car should be more competitive there and hopefully we will be able to close the gap with the teams in front."
Tiago Monteiro: "Spa is probably one of my top three favourite tracks. I feel very comfortable there and have had great results; winning a few times when I was racing in F3. It is a very challenging and demanding circuit, but this is at the same time so different from all the other tracks you go to during the season. It is a great pleasure for a driver to be at Spa. We think our new car will be better in Belgium than in Italy. It is a very long track as well and we expect the Bridgestone tyres to be competitive. Therefore I am looking forward very much to racing at Spa."
Nicolas Kiesa: "I drove in Spa in 2001 and 2002 in F3 and F3000. I know the circuit quite well. It is one of my favourite circuits along with Suzuka. To be honest, our new car, the B-specification, should run much better at Spa than at Monza because of the more medium downforce configuration of the track. Therefore the situation for the race drivers seems much better. I will not be driving the new car on the Friday, but this does not matter for the tyre choice. My job will be the same as usual and I will do my best to provide useful information to the team."
Adrian Burgess Sporting Director: "Spa-Francorchamp is a real "drivers" circuit, which requires total commitment and confidence and one of only a few remaining high speed, high g tracks on the calendar. Our three drivers know the circuit from previous experience and were very competitive there in the past, so we hope this will help us. We return to a medium downforce set-up, which should suit the two new EJ15Bs better. Besides, rain can be a frequent occurrence in the region, making the racing generally quite exciting and hopefully bring some luck to the team."
