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Thursday, July 26
Frentzen won twice with Jordan in 1999
Reuters
| |  | | | Frentzen |
| |  | | | Schumacher |
HOCKENHEIM, Germany -- Heinz-Harald
Frentzen could find his dismissal by Jordan helps him in the
long run, Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher
suggested Thursday.
"I feel certainly very sorry for Heinz-Harald for what has
happened," Ferrari's three-time champion told a news conference
before his home German Grand Prix.
"It's a big shame because they had a good time together in
1999 and it means that he as a driver can't have been too bad,"
added Schumacher.
Frentzen, who had scored only six points this season, was
abruptly fired by Jordan on Wednesday. Team chief Eddie Jordan
said there had been "an exchange of views" after the 34-year-old
German finished seventh at the British Grand Prix 10 days
earlier.
Frentzen won twice in his first season with Jordan in 1999,
when he finished third in the championship after Schumacher's
chances ended when he crashed and broke his leg at Silverstone.
"If times are difficult then maybe you have to stick to your
driver as well," added Schumacher, who has been at Ferrari since
1996 and has signed until 2004.
"I'm certainly not very happy to see what's happened to
Heinz-Harald but on the other hand he might get a better
opportunity now."
Schumacher was a teammate of the dismissed Jordan driver in
the Mercedes sportscar team before they entered Formula One and
the Ferrari driver met his wife Corinna after she had dated
Frentzen.
Frentzen has consulted lawyers about his dismissal.
The team said at Hockenheim that neither Eddie Jordan nor
team members would be making any further comment.
Paddock sources said Frentzen had remained in Spain, where
his mother lives, taking vacation.
Frentzen had been outqualified nine times in 10 races by
teammate Jarno Trulli and missed the Canadian Grand
Prix because he felt unwell after two crashes.
Michael's brother Ralf, a favorite to win Sunday's race in
the BMW-powered Williams, also expressed sympathy for the driver
with whom he switched places in 1999.
"I feel sorry for Heinz, the way it's happened but we don't
know the reasons for it," he said. "In previous years I have had
problems with this team and it appears to happen sometimes.
"If people just don't want to work together any more, I
think it's the best way.
"I heard a rumor that Heinz is going to be with us again
next year in a different team and if that's the case then I'm
sure it's a better option for him."
Asked whether the team might suffer a backlash from German
supporters this weekend, Ralf said Eddie Jordan also had
important issues to consider.
"He has big pressure on him. He has big sponsors, he has to
prove that he's a good team to stay with so he's under pressure
to deliver and one has to understand his decisions as well,"
Ralf said.
Frentzen was linked to Germany-based Toyota, who make their
Formula One debut next season, before he was reconfirmed at
Jordan last month and paddock speculation inevitably returned to
that team.
But Toyota motorsport head Ove Andersson denied that his
team were interested in Frentzen.
Asked whether Briton Allan McNish, the Toyota test driver
who hopes for a drive next season, had anything to fear from
Frentzen being on the market, he replied: "Absolutely no worries
whatsoever."
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