Doornbos lands Jordan test role
Dutchman Robert Doornbos has been handed the Jordan third driver role for the rest of the season following the shake-up at the team caused by Giorgio Pantano's departure. He begins his duties in Friday practice at this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix
Doornbos, the winner of the International F3000 Championship race supporting the Belgian Grand Prix, will take the place of Timo Glock who has been promoted to a race seat alongside Nick Heidfeld.
Speaking about his fantastic opportunity, Doornbos said: "The F3000 season only just ended in Monza and it's been an amazing season for me - in my first year of F3000 I won a race and got on the podium a few times.
"To get this chance with Jordan is fantastic and although it's late in the day and at circuits I have never visited I am grabbing the opportunity with both hands and looking forward to my first F1 drive."
Although Doornbos has never driven a Formula 1 car before, he qualifies for his mandatory F1 superlicence because he finished in the top three of this year's F3000 championship. The title was won by his Arden team-mate Vitantonio Liuzzi.
Team boss Eddie Jordan said: "I'm very pleased that we have been able to offer this unexpected opportunity to Robert. He has shown very impressive form this season with Arden International, holding his own against a dominant team-mate.
"Winning at Spa is a great achievement because it is a true 'drivers' track and we are looking forward to having Doornbos on board with Jordan for his F1 debut."
Why the 2021 title fight is far from F1's worst, despite its toxic background
OPINION: Formula 1 reconvenes for the Russian Grand Prix two weeks after the latest blow in ‘Max Verstappen vs Lewis Hamilton’. While the Silverstone and Monza incidents were controversial, they thankfully lacked one element that so far separates the 2021 title fight from the worst examples of ugly championship battles
How F1’s other champion to emerge from 1991 thrived at Lotus
Mika Hakkinen became Michael Schumacher’s biggest rival in Formula 1 in the late-90s and early 2000s, having also made his F1 debut in 1991. But as MARK GALLAGHER recalls, while Schumacher wowed the world with a car that was eminently capable, Hakkinen was fighting to make his mark with a famous team in terminal decline
The forgotten F1 comeback that began Jordan’s odyssey
Before Michael Schumacher – or anyone else – had driven the 191 (or 911 as it was initially called), Eddie Jordan turned to a fellow Irishman to test his new Formula 1 car. JOHN WATSON, a grand prix winner for Penske and McLaren, recalls his role in the birth of a legend…
The squandered potential of a 70s F1 underdog
A podium finisher in its first outing but then never again, the BRM P201 was a classic case of an opportunity squandered by disorganisation and complacency, says STUART CODLING
The other notable Monza escape that F1 should learn from
OPINION: The headlines were dominated by the Italian Grand Prix crash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, who had the halo to thank for avoiding potentially serious injury. But two days earlier, Formula 1 had a lucky escape with a Monza pitlane incident that could also have had grave consequences
How Monza only added more questions to F1's sprint race conundrum
With two sprint races under its belt, Formula 1 must now consider its options for them going forward. While they've helped deliver exciting racing on Sundays, the sprints themselves have been somewhat lacking - creating yet another conundrum for F1 to solve...
Who should Alfa Romeo sign for 2022's F1 season?
OPINION: With Valtteri Bottas already signed up for 2022, all eyes are on the race for the second seat at Alfa Romeo next year. Antonio Giovinazzi is the current incumbent, but faces a tough competition from appealing short and long-term prospects
The "forced break" that was key to Ricciardo's Monza excellence
OPINION: Daniel Ricciardo has long been considered one of Formula 1’s elite drivers. But his struggles at McLaren since switching from Renault for 2021 have been painful to watch at times. Yet he’s recovered to banish those memories with a famous Monza win – built on a critically important foundation
