Jordan Mugello testing notes 2001-10-05

Justin Wilson and Narain Karthikeyan today completed Benson and Hedges Jordan Honda's final test of the season, a three day session in Mugello. Foggy and damp conditions cleared mid-morning and the cars ran on a dry track for most of the day.

Wilson and Karthikeyan shared drives in both chassis and completed 129 laps between them with Wilson recording the quickest lap time of 1:25.40 and Karthikeyan the third fastest with 1:26.31. Both drivers spent the day familiarising themselves with the car and circuit, and the team ran tyre comparisons for the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka next weekend, trialled new software and tested development parts for 2002 in order to address reliability issues.

Justin Wilson, recently crowned International F3000 Champion and a rising star in British motorsport, was satisfied with his second chance to prove himself in an F1 car. "It's gone very well. I'm happy with my experience this week - the team has been very helpful and patient in helping me to familiarise myself with the circuit, as it's not the easiest track to learn. I've enjoyed both my test sessions with Jordan and we'll have to wait and see what happens in the future," he said.

Tim Edwards, Technical Operations Manager and Test Team Manager was pleased with the productivity of the new drivers: "It's been a positive end to this year's test programme. It's good to run new drivers in the car and allow them to get used to the circuit, while at the same time getting through our test schedule."

Andy Stevenson, Chief Test Team Mechanic, said "2001 has been the first year we've had a full time two car test team with a dedicated test driver, and we've learnt a huge amount to take forward into our development for next year. The knowledge we've gained in testing this season will be extremely constructive in advancing the performance and reliability of the car in future."

The team celebrates the success of its 2001 programme tonight with a Jordan and Honda test team members' dinner.

<pre> Driver Car Time ------------------------------ Wilson Jordan 1:25.40 Manning BAR 1:26.17 Karthikeyan Jordan 1:26.31 Davidson BAR 1:26.56