Frentzen enjoys the pressure

Heinz-Harald Frentzen has not had the smoothest of rides in Formula One since the middle of last year but the German declared that he is driving better than ever now. Abruptly sacked from Jordan last summer, Frentzen took up duties at Prost when Jean Alesi jumped ship -- to Jordan. Frentzen went on to qualify the Prost fourth at Spa, well ahead of anything either Alesi or Luciano Burti had managed to do with the poor car.

With Prost's demise at the beginning of 2002, Frentzen headed for Arrows. He ousted driver Jos Verstappen from his seat in a move that caused much controversy but team boss Tom Walkinshaw was adamant that he had made the right decision. Arrows have been lacklustre the last couple of seasons but Walkinshaw's faith in Frentzen seems to have paid off: the German has bought home the team's two points so far this year.

Two points may not seem like much but they are invaluable to Arrows. Frentzen admitted his reputation took a battering after being sacked from Jordan but said he is now as motivated as ever.

"What happened at Jordan was a shock," he remarked in the British press. "My reputation suffered and I had to start again from zero to continue in Formula One. I'm not as good as ever, I'm better than ever. I believe I have the experience and understanding of the car that makes me better now. I am also as motivated as ever. It helps when you have people who want to work with you and believe in you. I try to get the best out of myself and the team and I think I am achieving that. Our point in Monaco keeps the momentum going. Scoring points puts you under pressure to score more, but it is the right kind of pressure -- a pressure I enjoy."

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