The Hindu : Sport / Racing : Motor : Narain braces up to race new car

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 07, 2005

Sport

Sport - Racing : Motor

Narain braces up to race new car

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS (BELGIUM): Narain Karthikeyan would be hoping that a combination of new car and history help him turn around his fledgling Formula One career as the team heads to the Belgium Grand Prix here over the weekend.

Jordan Grand Prix will come to Spa-Francorchamps with two EJ15B for Karthikeyan and his teammate Tiag Monteiro, who had actually driven his previous race at Monza with the new car.

Belgium will bring back good memories to the team, the scene of some of the team's greatest results as well as the driver's personal milestones.

In 1998 Damon Hill and Ralf Schumacher finished first and second; Giancarlo Fisichella took second place in 1997; with the team having achieved its first pole position with Rubens Barrichello in 1994.

It is also the circuit where both Karthikeyan and Monteiro have won F-3 races and where Jordan has scored more points than at any other circuit.

``I will be driving the new car in Spa so I am very excited about this prospect,'' the 28-year old Indian said.

``I won at Spa in F-3 and I enjoy the circuit a lot. Therefore, I am eagerly looking forward to having the opportunity to drive the

``There is more downforce in Spa than at Monza, so our car should be more competitive there and hopefully we will be able to close the gap with the teams in front.''

Monteiro said, ``Spa is probably one of my top three favourite tracks. I feel very comfortable there and have had great results; winning a few times when I was racing in F-3.

``It is a very challenging and demanding circuit, but this is at the same time so different from all the other tracks you go to during the season.

``It is a great pleasure for a driver to be at Spa. We think our new car will be better in Belgium than in Italy.

``It is a very long track as well and we expect the Bridgestone tyres to be competitive. Therefore I am looking forward very much to racing at Spa.''

The notorious Eau Rouge is one of the fastest and most challenging corners on the F1 calendar.

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 dry at the other end. — PTI

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