MIKA HAKKINEN, driving a Marlboro McLaren Mercedes, was fastest after yesterday's two free practice sessions for tomorrow's French Grand Prix at Magny Cours.
The resurgance of the Woking based McLaren outfit illustrate - the problem that Eddie Jordan faces in realising his ambition to win a Grand Prix - as his team and engine supplier Peugeot make real progress, so do all the competitor. As the team struggle to close the gap to Williams, Benetton and Ferrari, others, particularly McLaren, are improving as fast, if, not faster.
"This will be a difficult race for [the Jordans and for me," said Eddie Irvine, who was ninth fastest yesterday, ahead of the closely matched Jordan pair, with Martin Brundle 11th and Rubens Barrichello 12th.
"Sure, Ferrari are making progress but you can see today McLaren are getting their act together, Benetton are making progress as well (third and fourth fastest yesterday) and Panis was flying in the Ligier. They are based here and know the place inside out," said the Irishman.
Irvine was not too hopeful about his prospects: "This is the smoothest track of all so we can run a very low ride height. We found that makes the car very unpredictable (aerodynamic downforce becomes unstable). I'll try a higher rideheight for the official qualifying."
Irvine ran 52 laps testing at Ferrari's private test track of Fiorano last Tuesday but he added:
"I was doing a Grand Prix distance test for the engine but we ran into trouble a few laps from the end."
The French Grand Prix is important for Jordan because Williams and Benetton would like to secure Jordan's Peugeot engine contract to replace their Renault V10s following the state owned company's withdrawal from Formula One.
Peugeot entered Formula One in 1994 and Brundle had their engine in the back of his McLaren that year: "I was there in the early days and there were some painful days. Now two years down the road the Peugeot is close to being the best engine in Formula One. Reliability and drive ability have come on very strongly.
"We now have fantastic power, as you could see in Canada. To be honest I was a bit shocked when I first ran the engine back in December. It seemed as though things had gone backwards since the McLaren days. Over the past few months, though, the whole thing has moved forward at an impressive pace," said Brundle. Jordan's contract with Peugeot expires at the end of next year and the Dubliner admitted the engine "is now hot property".
Yesterday the Jordan ears struggled: "Both suffered a lot of under steer," said Jordan. "We tried our new power steering on Martin's car." But both drivers failed to improve in the afternoon session, Barrichello only completing 13 of his quota of 30 laps when his engine suffered an electrical failure.
Damon Hill, who has a 21 point lead over team mate Jacques Villeneuve in the drivers' championship, was sixth fastest while Michael Schumacher, winner of the last two French Grand Prix, was fifth quickest.
