Grapevine: News from the Paddock - Hungarian GP

Off Course Alesi

Jean Alesi had a good time on his first competitive day with his new Jordan team, but although it seemed he had little difficulty getting used to the car, he had significantly more trouble working out where he was. As he headed into the pits after his installation lap, as well as engaging his pitlane speed limiter, he clearly engaged autopilot in his mind. The French driver, who has moved from Prost to join Jordan, completely missed the bright yellow colours of his new team and shot off in search of the Prost pits.

Rapidly realising his mistake he ground to a halt and was manoeuvred back to his Jordan pit, ironically just as Heinz-Harald Frentzen came down the pitlane. German Frentzen slowed right down as he approached his old team, stopping to allow his Jordan replacement to return to his pit, and simply shook his head.

Number Jumbler

Jarno Trulli is now driving Jordan's number 11 car, previously occupied by his old teammate Heinz-Harald Frentzen due to a confusing part of the FIA's seemingly endless rulebook. The regulations state that the car designated to be the 'number one' car is only allowed one driver change during the season, and as Frentzen's was that car and Zonta had already driven in the races in Canada and Germany this season, no other driver could be placed in the car.

However, teams can have as many as three other drivers in the second car, and Trulli, having started the season with the team, was allowed move from number 12 into the team's primary car, the number 11 machine, to enable Jean Alesi to become the team's third driver, now in the number 12 car.

Model Attraction

The Arrows team proudly showed off one of their new models at the Hungaroring, but it was nothing to do with modifications to the car. Having enjoyed meeting members of Hear'Say and Irish singers Bellefire in previous races, the team's drivers Enrique Bernoldi and Jos Verstappen witnessed more girl power when orange-clad Hungarian actress Bernadette Gregor dropped into town for a photoshoot with them and the Arrows A22.

Jordan's Family Values

Eddie Jordan has revealed his personal reasons for signing Jean Alesi go deep into the heart of his family, not just his racing life. Alesi drove for Jordan early in his career, but it was not only the on-track relationship between Jordan and Alesi which ignited a spark. "Jean came to live with me and my family in Oxford twelve years ago," said Jordan. "It is where he learnt English and how his friendship with my family first developed."

But it did not end there. Jordan has made no secret of having talks with Alesi every year, but he is clearly so close to the French-Sicilian that he used him as a teacher. "In recent years, my daughter Mikki has gone to stay with Jean in France to improve her French for her GCSE and A-Levels." So Jordan, who has always talked of his 'family' team, has now taken things one step further.