Frentzen optimistic for home GP

"I think we are ready to do this race," Frentzen said. "We are going to plan everything as normal and race. The preparation is okay, the cars are ready and I'm looking forward to it."

Frentzen confirmed that he had come close to racing the Jordan in Magny-Cours but that legal concerns dating back to his sacking by the team in the middle of last year, combined with separate issues surrounding his current contract, proved insurmountable.

"I think Deutsche Post had the idea and it would have made sense in a way," Frentzen said. "I'm a racer, but the contractual situation was a bit more difficult. To be honest, from the technical point of view it would have been interesting and I was quite enthusiastic about it. I wasn't worried about pressing the wrong buttons and all that kind of thing, because it's not a big deal if you are last on the grid."

Frentzen declined to comment on whether he had been paid by Arrows, but said: "I think Tom is trying to do his best to keep the team together and everyone has had a difficult time. We're trying to do our best as long as we can."