Jordan's appeal in Paris

Jordan's appeal against Jarno Trulli's exclusion from the United States Grand Prix will be heard by the FIA Court of Appeal in Paris this morning (Friday 2001-10-26). This appeal will decide constructors' championship place. Team Jordan doesn't expect a decision until Monday at the earliest.

Trulli was excluded from fourth place in the Indianapolis event after the wooden plank that runs underneath his car was found to contravene the regulations. At the end of a race the plank is only allowed to have degraded by 10 percent, or 1mm. Trulli's plank is understood to have degraded by 2.5mm, well outside the regulations.

Jordan is expected to claim that Trulli's clash with Kimi Raikkonen's Sauber early in the race caused two fasteners to accidentally fall off the car, resulting in the excessive wear rate. The outcome of the appeal is vital for Jordan, as fifth place in the constructors' championship hinges on the outcome. If Trulli is re-instated, Jordan will take the place. If he is not, fellow Honda-powered team British American Racing will be awarded the position.