This time last season.

looping the loop
By Phil Giles
March 1 2004

This time last season, Jordan were limbering up for the debut of Ralph Firman at the Australian Grand Prix. Ralph performed some aerobatics in more ways than one after he joined the Australian Airforce for a trip in a jet fighter.

Qualifying the EJ13 was a difficult task all season and the signs were there right at the start.  Friday qualifying put Giancarlo Fisichella in 14th place and Ralph ended his first session in 17th.  Ralph was still learning the circuit and Giancarlo lost setup time early on in the practice session.

Qualifying two saw Fisi take another step forward up to 13th place, however Ralph couldn't improve on his position from qualifying one and remained towards the back of the grid in 17th.

Gary Anderson said that qualifying had been sacrificed for a good race performance.  Time would tell.

Race day saw a lightning start from Ralph who leapt up to 8th place in only six laps, however his race ended after the Jordan slapped the armco in the exact same spot where Rubens Barrichello went off, two laps earlier.  Giancarlo fared better running as high as fourth, before retiring just four laps from the end with gearbox trouble.

Perhaps not the best of starts for the boys in yellow last year.  Things however may have turned around for Team Lazarus this year and Jordan Fans everywhere will be hopeful that the pre-season testing has paid off and that the engineers know more about the EJ14 than they did about last years challenger.