Jordan 196 unveiled

January 18, 1996 - Jordan Grand Prix won the race to unveil the first new 1996 Grand Prix car today when the Jordan-Peugeot 196 made its public appearance at Estoril. Team owner Eddie Jordan was on hand to watch as drivers Martin Brundle and Rubens Barrichello both took a turn behind the wheel of the striking new car. ``1996 is a very important year for this team, without doubt our most important so far,'' Eddie Jordan said. I could probably be accused of saying that every year when we unveil our new car, but seriously it has never been truer than it is now. ``It is vital that we get good results this season. The team showed a lot of promise last year, but on so many occasions we failed to turn the promise into results. This is not our plan for 1996. ``We are now entering into the second year of our partner- ship with Peugeot. The continuity is very important because it has enabled us to work together to produce an integrated package for 1996. We have continuity in the driver line-up with Rubens Barrichello. ``As he enters his fourth season with the team, Rubens is hungrier for success than he has ever been. The same could be said for Martin Brundle. As you know, Martin is new to Total Jordan-Peugeot this year, but the experience that he brings with him will undoubtedly prove invaluable. With the unveiling of our new car today, the elements are all in place for the year ahead. Now the work starts to turn our plans for 1996 into reality.'' The most visible new features on the car are the raised nose and the increased protection around the driver's cockpit dictated by new safety regulations. The 196 also incorporates innovative features such as power steering. Rubens Barrichello did a quick shakedown run at Silverstone last Sunday and his initial reaction to the new car was good. ``I just did a couple of very short runs and you can't tell much from that,'' Barrichello said. ``I did get the impression that the car was more stable though, which is good because that's an area we specifically worked on.'' The team will remain at Estoril for three more days of testing. There are three further sessions planned before the March 10th Australian Grand Prix.

Michael --- þ 1st 1.11 #8604 þ There will be a Friday the 13th in September and December.