Frentzen defends Jordan strategy

Frentzen said that had he run a heavier fuel load and joined McLaren and Ferrari in one-stopping he would have been unable to keep up.

As it was, he hassled Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello throughout the first stint and then led the race until having to pit for a second time. He dropped to fourth before retiring with hydraulic problems.

'The strategy would have been fine if we'd finished,' he said. 'It would have been difficult to keep up with McLaren and Ferrari so we had to try an aggressive race strategy. I couldn't get ahead of Barrichello at the start and the only place to pass here is in the pits.'

The German added that he thought his race had been ended by the same gearbox problem that sidelined his car at Imola.

'I think it was the same thing,' he said. 'I was stuck in sixth gear again so that was it.'