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Friday, March 2
Jordan driver second-fastest
Reuters
MELBOURNE -- Jordan's Jarno Trulli pledged before the start of the season that he and fellow-Italian race engineer Gabriele Dellicolli would stick to speaking English in a bid to promote team unity, communication and success.
|  | | Jordan's Jarno Trulli posted the second fastest time in the second practice session in Melbourne, Australia on Friday. |
The early signs were good on Friday when the easy-going Pescara-born driver split the Ferrari pairing to clock the second fastest time in opening free practice for Sunday's season opening Australian Grand Prix.
For both Trulli and the team, it was a reward for a lot of unspectacular but important pre-season preparation carried out following a close season of introspection and wound-licking.
"We knew we had to get our heads down, stop making any fuss and just get on with the job," said team commercial director Ian Phillips. "This is what today has been all about for us. Hard work pays off."
In 1999, Jordan finished third in both constructors and the drivers' championships, but slumped to sixth last season after being dogged by gearbox problems.
The signing of a works engine deal with Honda made it critical that they improve and Trulli's opening-day performance was a signal that they may enjoy much better results with the EJ11 than they did with last year's EJ10.
"We had a good session and I am satisfied for the moment, but of course it is only Friday," Trulli said. "It was a little bit slippery out there and we have some work to do with the tires and on the set-up.
"I had a problem with the electronics on the steering wheel and lost about half-an-hour of running time, but after that everything was good. Friday is mostly about trying new things with the car's set-up and my new engineer and I are getting on really well!
"We just need some time to really get to know each other's ways of working, but we have some good ideas for tomorrow and hope we can improve the car again."
The team's head of engineering Tim Holloway was relieved.
"It was problem-free and consistent and that is important," he said.
After the departure of former technical director Mike Gascoyne to Benetton last year, many feared that Jordan might have lost momentum.
But winter changes and new appointments, including the arrival of new senior engineers, revitalised the team.
Trulli's team mate, the experienced German Heinz-Harald Frentzen, wound up eighth at the end of the opening day despite an early off-track excursion which damaged his 'barge board' and front wing. Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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