Formula 1

50 seconds from glory for Jordan

A rueful but happy Eddie Jordan described Giancarlo Fisichella's narrow miss of victory in Brazil as '50 seconds from glory' and almost a fairytale come true. Fisichella drove a strong race and overtook McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen for the lead but two ...

Published: Apr 9, 2003, 2:03 PM

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A rueful but happy Eddie Jordan described Giancarlo Fisichella's narrow miss of victory in Brazil as '50 seconds from glory' and almost a fairytale come true. Fisichella drove a strong race and overtook McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen for the lead but two big crashes red-flagged the race. If the race had continued, Jordan thinks Fisichella could have won but it was Raikkonen who was awarded the victory.

Giancarlo Fisichella, Eddie Jordan and Team Jordan celebrate second place finish.

Photo by Jordan Grand Prix.

"We were 50 seconds from glory," the team boss said. "We could have won the race had it not been stopped with the strategy we had. It could have been a fairytale. But if someone had told me we would have been on the podium here I would have said they were out of their mind."

"I said afterwards to Gary (Anderson), count-back, how many times had he passed in the lead. Just one more pass and he would have won. It must be heartbreak for Giancarlo, I think I felt more for him than anyone. We have all witnessed winning and Giancarlo must be the most talented driver ever in the history of grand prix not to have won a race."

For a few minutes after the race was stopped, Jordan thought Fisichella had actually won but the rules dictated Raikkonen was leading when the red flag came out. Mark Webber's Jaguar hit the barrier at the entry to the pit straight and the Renault of Fernando Alonso ploughed into the wreckage. Webber was fine, Alonso taken to hospital but the young Spaniard proved to be only badly shaken -- and still managed to score his second podium finish in third.

A disappointed but pleased Fisichella, who's car burst into flames on parc ferme, said after the race: "Obviously I am disappointed not to get the chance to do one more lap so I could have finished first but being second is really good for me and the team. I thought I had won the race and I still think I am the winner but rules are rules."

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