Alesi Remains Popular to the End

Jean Alesi led the Formula One field for probably the last time in his career and there was no doubt that the Frenchman would be missed.

"Forza Alesi! You are our hero," declared a massive yellow banner displayed at the top of a grandstand opposite the pits in time for free practice. "See you next year," it added, a piece of wishful thinking overtaken by events after the 37-year-old Frenchman announced on Wednesday that he was finally calling it a day.

Jordan had earlier presented Japan's Takuma Sato as Alesi's replacement for 2002. The tributes from fellow drivers, some of whom were in junior school when Alesi made his debut in 1989, flowed in for a natural racer who now seems like a throwback to a distant era.

"You feel like putting your head back to hold back the tears," McLaren's David Coulthard had told a news conference on Thursday when asked about the Frenchman's impending departure after 201 races.

"It's a shame in a way that he's stopping, because of the passion that he has for the sport. He is undoubtedly a unique character in Formula One," the Scot added. "I remember him coming to me and telling me that I was the most incorrect driver he's ever raced against. Maybe at that time I was, I don't know."

Surprised Schumacher

World Champion Michael Schumacher, who replaced Alesi at Ferrari in 1996 and has now won two titles with the team, said he had been taken by surprise.

"It was a big surprise to all of us when we heard his announcement of the retirement...it was a big shock," he said. "He was there for so long and it's kind of a surprise that suddenly he quits and goes. "First of all a friend of mine is leaving, which is a shame. The excitement he has brought to Formula One fans is quite huge.

"Although he didn't win too many races he has a lot of fans which shows how much he has given."

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, Schumacher's teammate who so far stands alongside Alesi with just one win to his credit, said the Frenchman also stood out for his fairness on the track.

"Probably my best memory is the first time that I finished second, which was '95 in Canada when he won his first race, and so we had a fantastic podium."

Team boss Eddie Jordan, who helped Alesi into Formula One after winning the Formula 3000 title with him, talked of Alesi as a true friend with whom he hoped to continue working in future.

"He's probably closer to me than any other driver in Formula One," he said. "We lived together, he learned his English in Oxford, my children have gone to Avignon to learn their French there."