Fisichella Hopes to be a Winner at Last

Italian Giancarlo Fisichella wants to become a winner with Jordan next season to banish his reputation as a nearly man of Formula One.

"My aim is to be at the top, quicker than everybody," he told the team's website after a seat fitting at the Silverstone factory. "I have come second five times and third four times so I want to win," said the Roman, who is returning to Jordan after leaving them for Benetton at the end of 1997.

"Sometimes I think a lot about the races where I have come so close and then either something with the car or a mistake stopped me from winning but I try not to dwell on it too much. I feel quite positive and it's my aim to win a race this year - well, hopefully not just one."

Jordan have only ever won three races in their history, the first with Damon Hill in 1998 and the last coming with German Heinz-Harald Frentzen at Monza in Italy in 1999. They were sixth overall this season. Fisichella toured the factory on Thursday and said he was happy to be back.

"I know most of the guys in the factory here from before and it's good to see them again," he said.

The Italian teams up with Japanese debutant Takuma Sato in 2002 in an all-new line-up at a Honda-powered team who saw a total of four drivers in their cars this year. Italian Jarno Trulli was the mainstay, with Frentzen replaced for two races by Brazilian test driver Ricardo Zonta and then by Jean Alesi for the final five races after being dismissed.

Fisichella, who regularly outqualified Briton Jenson Button at Benetton this year, said he had yet to meet Sato but intended to be faster than him too.

"I haven't met him but I hear he's talented and has been very quick in F3 and testing. It will be part of my job to help him as it's his first time in F1, but at the end of the day I am competing against him just as much as everybody else.

"I have always been quicker than my teammate so hopefully I'll be faster than him."