Spanish GP preview - Jordan Grand Prix.

Jordan Grand Prix take part in the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend hoping that they will be able to register their first points of the season.

Jordan find themselves pointless thus far this season and are in the company of Arrows and fellow Honda-powered BAR in this respect. To help right this the team has been busy testing at Silverstone for three days from 16th to 18th April.

At the test the team was working on a demanding programme including: Honda's engine programme, suspension geometries, brake systems, traction control, tyre testing, brake compounds and general set-up work for the Spanish and Austrian Grands Prix. Takuma Sato drove on all three days and Giancarlo Fisichella joined him on the 17th and 18th April. The drivers completed a combined total of 261 laps with few technical problems.

David Brown, senior race engineer at Jordan believes that the team should be well placed for Barcelona: "We've done four tests in Barcelona this year, so we've done a lot of homework and believe we have got the right tyre choice. I think this circuit will suit the EJ12 better than Imola did because it has more flowing corners and less 'stop-starting'. The extra power from the engine is going to help there, and some aerodynamic modifications we have tested at Silverstone look like they will definitely be an advantage. We would expect to be in a better position than at Imola, but it's clear there are still more improvements needed. As always, we will do our utmost with the package we have."

During the Silverstone tests the team exploited the location to host sponsor guests and members of Jordan's supporters' club, Club Jordan. Mark Gallagher, Jordan's Head of Marketing, whose team oversaw the marketing and hospitality aspects of the test, explains: "We started hosting sponsors, fans and suppliers at tests as soon as we entered Formula One in 1991, but it has grown from being a handful of people on special occasions to several hundred per day hosted in the Jimmy Brown Centre. Guests who attend races often comment on how restrictive Formula One has become, so tests allow us to bring large numbers into the paddock, the garage and pit lane. It's become extremely popular as a result."

"Sponsors large and small bring partners, customers and media who normally cannot get accreditation to attend races. And the fans just love it. Every time we offer tickets they are sold out within days because fans know that they can get to see the cars close up in the pits, talk with team members, meet the drivers and get a proper behind the scenes look at the sport. From the team point of view it allows us to get closer to our sponsors, supplier and fans in a way which is just not possible during busy race weekends, so it works for everyone."

And part of the testing procecures is ensuring that the car spends as little time as possible sat in the pits during the race stops. The EJ12 should not usually be stationary for longer than ten seconds in a race pit stop, vital seconds during which 24 people converge around the car to change all four tyres and refuel. This is the definitive test of how efficiently a team works together, yet each season brings new faces to the 24-man crew who must learn how to play their part and work with their team mates. Tim Edwards, Jordan's Team Manager, describes how the pit crew trains and practices, and explains the never-ending drive to shave off fractions of a second.

"We practise pit stops regularly, at test sessions and in the factory as well as every race weekend. We've made some changes to who does what, and these latest positions were practised in the factory, in Imola, and then rehearsed 'as live' for an hour at the Silverstone test last week. Rehearsing 'as live' is vital and totally different to the usual form of practice when we have a couple of guys pushing the car into position before the team carries out a practice pit stop. 'As live', means the mechanics sit in the garage, as if they were watching the race, and then they are called out with 20 seconds to go as the driver drives into the pits. We did that 12 or 15 times at the Silverstone circuit."

"We're always trying different combinations and ways of working. For example, we have two people operating the fuel hose, with the team member furthest behind having a lot of influence on moving and locking the hose into place. For the flyaways this year a tall person had been standing in front of a shorter team member, which limited how much the guy behind could help his team mate. When we got back to Europe, we tried reversing that and used different team members, and we found it made refuelling work much better. Now Stuart Cox, the tallest member of the team, is the second person on the fuel hose and he looks over Ged Robb's shoulder to help steer the hose on. The big guy who used to be on the front of the hose was moved to the rear jack because the team member who used to have the position was too light and subsequently was thrown off a few times. Re-thinking the team positions like this has made our pit stops smoother and quicker, but it's only once you've gone through a few races that you can have a better feel for how the team should be arranged."

"We've got a few people on the crew who hadn't done pit stops before this season and it doesn't matter how many times you practice it, when you actually do it for real for the first time in a race, when it matters, the adrenaline's going! We see a difference as the season goes on and by the end of the season the crew has really gelled together and the pit stop just gets slicker and quicker each time."

The pit stop crew consists of 24 people, all of which are listed, along with their role, below:Lollipop & nose lift: Andy StevensonFront jack, lift & nose off: Gerrard O'ReillyLeft front wheel off, wing adj, nose on: Martin McCrackenLeft front wheel gun: Jamie ChappleLeft front wheel on, nose ratchet: Dave AdcockRight front wheel off, wing adj, nose lift: Dave GamblingRight front wheel gun: Phil HowellRight front wheel on, nose ratchet: Andy SaundersStand, extinguisher: Stuart McNallyFuel: Ged RobbFuel: Stuart CoxFuel: Mick GommeFuel shut-off: Paul PinneyFuel desk controller: Tim EdwardsRight rear stand, wheel off: Simon YatesRight rear wheel gun: Matt DeanePusher, right rear wheel on: Andy DeemingRear jack: Iain MarchantMain extinguisher: Ian GleadellFire guard: Andy BarberLeft rear wheel on: James LaurenceLeft rear wheel gun: Nick BurrowsLeft rear wheel off, starter: Gary TaylorSteady, nose lift, wheel off, clutch dump: Nathan Hall

Coming in for the attention of the 24 will be Giancarlo Fisichella and Takuma Sato. Fisichella see there still work to be done: "Barcelona is a very technical circuit so it will be difficult for us to get the set-up just right. We have tested there a lot before the season started, though, so we have made a bit of a head-start. The test in Silverstone has helped us move forward a little, but there is still some work to do."

For his team-mate, Takuma Sato, there should be a better chance of a good showing in Spain as the Japanese driver has more experience of the track due to the testing undertaken there: "As we have tested in Barcelona a few times, I know the circuit much better than any of the tracks I have raced at so far this season. Basically it means that instead of spending my first 10 laps learning a new circuit, I can go straight to set-up work, so we will have more time getting the balance of the car right, which will make a difference. That's a good thing because I think this is going to be a tough circuit for us."