How Jordan won its last F1 race on this day in 200...

The Jordan Method 1 workforce is probably finest identified for its Nineties heyday, when it gave a sure Michael Schumacher his entry into F1 and took the battle to McLaren and Ferrari in 1999. Whereas Jordan Grand Prix’s type fell off on the flip of the millennium, it nonetheless managed one remaining race win within the twenty first century, throughout a chaotic Brazilian GP on this present day 23 years in the past.

After its highs within the late Nineties, which noticed Jordan choose up three race wins and a handful of podium finishes, the workforce was struggling in 2003. It had arguably the second-worst automobile on the F1 grid with the EJ13, and was battling points with its engines and funds – each on- and off-track.

Nevertheless, all that paled into insignificance on 6 April 2003 when a daring technique name from the Jordan workforce helped it to its fourth and remaining grand prix victory.

Giancarlo Fisichella certified a formidable eighth for the workforce’s 2 hundredth grand prix begin – which was delayed resulting from heavy rain on the Interlagos circuit. When the race lastly did start, it was behind the protection automobile, and this threw up a chance for Jordan to combine up its technique. The workforce known as in Fisichella and team-mate Ralph Firman Jr to gasoline them so long as potential, which put them behind the pack for the restart. 

Firman then suffered a entrance suspension failure, whereas Fisichella stayed out throughout the subsequent security automobile interval and ensuing stops. The moist situations continued inflicting upsets, with Schumacher succumbing to the rain and Jenson Button crashing shortly after the protection automobile had gone again in following the German’s off.

After this, residence hero Rubens Barrichello took the lead from McLaren’s David Coulthard on lap 45, whereas Fisichella sat fifth for Jordan. The Brazilian quickly ran out of gasoline, nevertheless, which promoted Fisichella up the order as soon as extra.

Coulthard then stopped from the result in refuel, whereas third-placed Ralf Schumacher additionally dove into the pits – selling Fisichella to second. He jumped additional up the order when Kimi Raikkonen made a mistake in his McLaren, which handed the Italian the lead – the primary time a Jordan automobile had led a grand prix in additional than two years.

Raikkonen repassed Fisichella shortly earlier than the race was red-flagged following an enormous crash from Fernando Alonso, and the Fin was initially topped winner of the chaotic race.

Podium: Giancarlo Fisichella, Jordan celebrates

Picture by: Sutton Photographs

Nevertheless, Jordan appealed the outcome and an ensuing FIA investigation decided that the race outcome ought to have been declared on the finish of lap 54 – the one lap on which Fisichella was forward.

It marked a return to the rostrum for Jordan for the primary time because the 2000 United States Grand Prix and can be its remaining of 4 F1 race wins. The workforce went on to take a remaining podium on the notorious 2005 United States GP, earlier than it morphed into MF1 Racing, Spyker, Power India, Racing Level after which Aston Martin.

It might go on to take six podiums as Power India, earlier than its subsequent victory got here for Racing Level on the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix. In its Aston Martin guise, the facet has picked up 9 podiums however remains to be chasing a return to the highest step.

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– The Motorsport.com Group