Frentzen: Tyre war won’t send times tumbling

Speaking during Bridgestone tyre tests at Valencia last week, the German said that changes to the aerodynamic regulations, which reduce front end downforce and restrict rear wings to just three separate elements, will counter the likely increase in grip levels as the Japanese and French giants go head-to-head.

"I think the lap times will come down a little anyway because of the increase in performance of the car," he said, "but I don't think the lap times will be that much faster in 2001 than they were this year.

"The tyres will probably compensate for the loss of speed from aerodynamic restrictions, so the times should be more or less the same."

Jordan ran Frentzen and test driver Ricardo Zonta for three days of intensive Bridgestone testing at Valencia, but also took the opportunity to simulate 2001 levels of downforce.

"We are running in a lower downforce set-up because we are expecting to have less downforce next year," said Frentzen. "But we are not running exactly like we will next year, because the car is not quite right yet."

Most teams have also pre-empted the likely re-introduction of traction control at next year's Spanish Grand Prix by running a form of the system during testing. Jordan ran traction control, despite still using 2000-spec Mugen engines and not next year's works Honda units, but Frentzen remains opposed to the return of the driver aid.

"I don't think it's a good thing," he said. "Every driver believes that he is very good and that he can control the car well enough by himself. But with traction control, everybody will be able to do the same job."