Jordan Grand Prix is heading to the very challenging circuit of Suzuka, Japan, for the penultimate round of the 2005 FIA Formula One World Championship. The team will have to be technically prepared from an engineering point of view considering the difficulty to find a good set-up, given the nature of the track with its unique figure-of-eight configuration. The weather could also play a huge part over the weekend at this event with a good chance of rain or even a typhoon. This Grand Prix is also the home race for Jordan partners Bridgestone and Toyota and the team had a successful test with them at Silverstone a few weeks ago. Moreover, Bridgestone know the nature of the track, its surface and weather changes very well, a positive prospect for the team.
Narain Karthikeyan: "Japan is one of the greatest circuits on the calendar and one of my favourites. It is a bit like Spa and drivers seem to like it a lot. I have raced at Suzuka driving in Formula Nippon in 2001 and I did quite well, so it should be ok. We will have to pay attention to the weather as it can be very changeable there; as for instance last year they had a typhoon. Also, the EJ15B has certainly closed the gap with the other teams so I am looking forward to Suzuka even more. As it is Bridgestone's home race, hopefully they will give us something special."
Tiago Monteiro: "I have never been to Suzuka or Japan so I am really curious to see the country. I have heard it is one of the top tracks in the Championship. Suzuka is similar to Spa, mixed with other great tracks, therefore I cannot wait to race there. I know it is quite tricky and long. The weather can be changeable there as well so that could maybe help us. A lot of things could happen. I would like to finish the season on a high note and we will keep focused and prepare for the last two races."
Sakon Yamamoto: "I had two successful days of testing at Silverstone. I was very impressed as it was the first time I have driven a Formula One car. Everybody was wondering if I could drive a Formula One car and I believe I have proved it. During the two days, we had mixed weather conditions so it was good for me to try the car with wet tyres as it may rain at Suzuka. I have spent a lot of time testing different types of Bridgestone tyres for the Japanese Grand Prix and I am pretty confident that we have found a good type. I have really enjoyed this test and I would like to thank Jordan Grand Prix for giving me that opportunity. I know the circuit at Suzuka very well so this will be a little advantage. I am glad I could have an initial feeling about the car previous to my Friday drive. I will try to give a lot of useful information to the team for the race. I cannot wait to drive in front of my home crowd."
Adrian Burgess Sporting Director: "Suzuka is a ‘proper’ drivers’ track, where the driver can influence the outcome quite a lot in comparison to other circuits. Narain knows the track as he has done a lot of miles there in Formula Nippon in 2001 so he should be competitive as soon as the weekend starts. This will also be the case for Sakon, who is used to the track and will be of a great help on Friday, especially in our tyre choice. Tiago, however, will have to spend some time learning the layout but it should be a circuit that suits his driving style. It is a very demanding, high downforce track for the car with high-speed corners like Silverstone or Spa, where it is crucial to find the right set-up but if we do push hard we can be in a good shape. Being in the country of our main two partners, Toyota and Bridgestone, I hope we can make the most of our package with car, engine and tyres all performing well and reliably."
