Alesi Aims for Podium to Celebrate 200th GP

Frenchman Jean Alesi will compete at his 200th Formula One Grand Prix next weekend at the Indianapolis circuit, and the veteran has admitted finishing in the podium at the historic circuit would be the perfect way to celebrate the achievement.

"Indianapolis is a great place to celebrate my 200th Grand Prix as it's such a fantastic motorsport name steeped in racing history," said Alesi. "It would be my dream to be on the podium there for this race."

37-year old Alesi, who scored his only Grand Prix win in Canada in 1995 when he was driving for Ferrari, made his Formula One debut in 1989 with the Tyrrell team, finishing in fourth place in his first race in France.

After driving for Tyrrell, Ferrari, Benetton, Sauber, Prost, and now for the Jordan team, the French-Sicilian says his twelve years in Formula One have gone by fast.

"The last twelve years have gone so quickly, but I feel an incredible sense of achievement to have made it to my 200th Grand Prix," said Alesi, who scored his first point for Jordan at Belgium when he finished sixth.

"There are so many things that have happened over this time, making it impossible to sum up my Formula One memories in just a few words â€" a book wouldn't be enough."

Having switched from Prost to Jordan before the Hungarian Grand Prix, Alesi will finish the season driving for his friend Eddie Jordan, with who he won the 1989 F3000 title.

Jordan have already confirmed that Italian Giancarlo Fisichella will drive for them in 2002, while Alesi, who is yet to announce his future, admitted he is expecting to finish his career at the Silverstone-based outfit.

"I still have the same passion for the sport that I had in the beginning and I believe this is one of the reasons I have survived so long in this sport â€" you have to give 100% otherwise you may as well give up.

"Being back with Jordan now, as I approach the end of F1 career in the next few years, is almost a dream come true. I would like to finish my career by racing for Jordan as I feel I have come full circle."

Italians Riccardo Patrese and Andrea de Cesaris, Brazilian Nelson Piquet, and Austrian Gerhard Berger are the only men to have competed in more than 200 Grands Prix.