Hill glad of Jordan's support

The 38-year-old, who was eighth in today's final untimed practice, reacted angrily to a series of stories speculating he would quit at the end of the year.

'Those reports are premature and predictable, but I didn't expect anything else,' said Hill today. 'I have got as much motivation and keen anticipation about coming to a motor race as I ever have done. That will help me through this period. I am not particularly pleased or proud of my start to the season. But I am pleased Heinz-Harald has gone out and got the results because I couldn't have got them so far. I didn't get into motor racing to compete for sixth or seventh place. That is not where it at. If we get a sniff of an opportunity of running at the front I will be there and ready and that's when it counts. Heinz-Harald getting good results is good for me, not necessarily bad for me, because the team could be in a lot worse state than it is.

After failing to finish three of the first four races Hill said he had been surprised by the strength of support from the Jordan team.

'They have been very supportive which is very surprising and something quite out of my normal experience of Formula one teams. Eddie, the mechanics, engineers and everyone have been right behind me, helping me through it. Its almost more worrying in a way because I am not used to it - it's that unusual in Formula One. After the Monaco race I had left the circuit ad Eddie rang and said 'Get stuck back in and put it behind you'. Consequently the team has made me feel a whole lot better than I might otherwise feel. I'm in a position where I do not need to make myself miserable.'

The Jordan driver has collected just three points from his fourth place at Imola and has been overshadowed by new team-mate Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

The German has been the revelation of the campaign finishing in the points three times, including twice on the podium, to lie fourth in the drivers' standings.