The Belgian Grand Prix. Round 14. 31st August - 2nd September 2001 Spa Francorchamps, Belgium.

Weather   Times (all times Local) Friday Cloudy, 60% chance of rain 10-19C   Free Practice 1 Free Practice 2 11:00 - 12:00 13:00 - 14:00 Saturday Cloudy, 50% chance of rain 17-23C   Free Practice 3 Free Practice 4 Qualifying 09:00 - 09:45 10:15 - 11:00 13:00 - 14:00 Sunday 80% chance of rain 18-25C   Warm Up The Race 09:30 - 10:00 14:00

Laps - 44 Km per lap - 6.968 Race Km - 306.592

Race Preview

Set deep in the Ardennes forest, Spa-Francorchamps is a fantastic track that sweeps through the countryside like a roller-coaster and is truly a favourite among the drivers. The infamous Eau Rouge is one of the fastest and most challenging corners on the F1 calendar and the slope of the track enables teams to see from the paddock area, from La Source hairpin (the first corner) right to the top of Eau Rouge. A large proportion of the circuit is used as a public road apart from on race weekends, when the track is formed to become the longest on the F1 calendar. The first Belgian round of the Formula One World Championship was held in 1950 on a nine-mile track at Spa. Using roads running through forests and villages, the venue was dropped from the calendar on safety grounds after 1970 and the current circuit uses only a fraction of the original layout. Unpredictable weather conditions often add to the excitement of this race, where there can be torrential rain at one end of the track whilst it remains bone dry at the other end. Jarno Trulli For lovers of statistics, the Spa-Francorchamps circuit provides ample to give the Jordan Honda team optimism for next weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix. The circuit has afforded Jordan some of its most memorable results - the historic 1-2 victory in 1998 with Damon Hill and Ralf Schumacher, second place with Fisichella (see overleaf) in 1997 and front row of the grid with Jarno Trulli last year. In addition, Jordan’s prodigal son, Jean Alesi, won at Spa in Jordan yellow in the 1989 F3000 Championship. Like his team mate Trulli, he is no stranger to the front row of the grid, having qualified second in 1995 and 1997 and, if the statistical icing on the factual cake were needed, Alesi was the driver who joined Hill and Ralf Schumacher on the podium in 1998. Hardly surprising then, that both Alesi and Trulli travel to Belgium with high hopes. “Spa is a great drivers circuit and the race is often quite exciting there," said Trulli. "You have to have a good car that is very well balanced at this circuit as it is very long and quite technical. 1998 was a great race for me at Spa as I worked my way up the field from thirteenth on the grid to finish in the points which felt good.” Jean Alesi “Everybody knows that Spa is one of my favourite circuits - it is so exciting to drive there," adds Alesi. "The weather can be very unpredictable which can also add some spice to the race. I have started this race twice from the front row of the grid and the last time I raced at Spa in yellow Jordan overalls, I won – although that was in F3000. I also had a great race there in the rain when I was with Sauber in 1998, joining the two Jordans on the podium. The whole circuit has a ‘party’ atmosphere which adds to the excitement with fans coming from all over Europe to watch the race. This year, it would be great to re-live some of my Spa successes.” Jordan’s Managing Director, Trevor Foster, is equally confident both Jordan drivers will perform well in Belgium. “All the drivers love Spa and gain real satisfaction from racing there. I think the combination of high speed corners and the undulating nature of the track is what makes it so special. We hope to find the perfect set-up for the car so that Jarno and Jean will get a real thrill.” Adding to the team’s history at the Belgian circuit, Eddie Jordan is proud to have given Michael Schumacher his debut F1 drive at Spa in 1991, where the German hero now returns as four-time World Champion.

2000 Result Pos. Driver Team Time Qualification Highlights 1. Hakkinen McLaren 1:50.646 2. Trulli Jordan 1:51.419 3. Button Williams 1:51.444 3. M Schumacher Ferrari 1:51.552 4. Coulthard McLaren 1:51.587 5. R Schumacher Williams 1:51.743 8. Frentzen Jordan 1:51.926 Race Result 1. Hakkinen McLaren 1:28'15.494 2. M Schumacher McLaren +1.104 3. R Schumacher Williams +38.096 4. Coulthard McLaren +43.281 5. Button Williams +49.914 6. Frentzen Jordan +55.984 Lap 4 Trulli Jordan Collision

Previous Results at Spa Year Positions Points 2000 Sixth 1 1999 Third and Sixth 5 1998 First and Second 16 1997 Second 6 1996 No Points 0 1995 Sixth 1 1994 No Points 0 1993 No Points 0 1992 No Points 0 1991 No Points 0 Previous Winners Year Driver Team 1999 Eddie Irvine Ferrari 1998 Damon Hill Jordan 1997 Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1996 Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1995 Michael Schumacher Benetton 1994 Damon Hill Williams 1993 Damon Hill Williams 1992 Michael Schumacher Benetton 1991 Ayrton Senna McLaren 1990 Ayrton Senna McLaren 1989 Ayrton Senna McLaren 1988 Ayrton Senna McLaren 1987 Alain Prost McLaren 1986 Nigel Mansell Williams

The Current 2001 Standings