Trulli/Jordan win US GP appeal.

Jarno Trulli and Jordan have had their fourth place in September's SAP United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis reinstated following an appeal to the FIA, it was announced today. The ruling gives Eddie Jordan's team fifth place in the F1 Constructors Championship and Trulli a share of seventh in the Drivers Championship with Jacques Villeneuve and Nick Heidfeld.

Two weeks after the chequered flag came down on the 2001 Formula One World Championship at Suzuka in Japan, Jordan were handed fifth place in the Constructors Championship by the FIA following a successful appeal over the disqualification of Italian driver Jarno Trulli in September's United States Grand Prix at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Trulli finished the race in fourth place behind winner Mika Hakkinen, Michael Schumacher and David Coulthard but was disqualified after the race when the wooden skid plank underneath his Jordan-Honda EJ11 was found to have worn beyond the legal limit. An appeal was immediately lodged and after hearing the case at FIA headquarters in Paris yesterday, the three man Court of Appeal headed by Dutchman Jan van Rosmalen, decreed that due to a stewards error in hearing Jordan's original appeal in Indianapolis, the disqualification should not be allowed to stand.

In a press release issued on Saturday afternoon the FIA stated:

"The International Court of Appeal met in Paris on 26th October 2001 in order to examine the appeal brought by the Royal Irish Automobile Club on behalf of Jordan Grand Prix against stewards' decision set out in document number 31 of the 2001 SAP United States Grand Prix (exclusion of car number 11 - Jarno Trulli - for non-conformity of skid block dimensions).

Having listened to the explanations of the parties and examined the various documents and other evidence the International Court of Appeal has allowed the appeal of Jordan Grand Prix on the grounds that a steward was absent during the hearing of the team at the United States Grand Prix.

The Court found that this was a breach of article 134 of the International Sporting Code (which provides that all decisions by the College of Stewards should be taken collectively) and thus a breach of the right of defence.

The International Court of Appeal has therefore pronounced the above-mentioned stewards' decision null and void; the original classification of the event is, as a consequence, confirmed.

The International Court of Appeal was presided over by Mr Jan van Rosmalen (Holland) and was composed of Messrs Vassilis Koussis (Greece) and Philippe Roberti de Winghe (Belgium).

Statement ends.

The decision means that Jordan move out of a tie for fifth place in the Constructors Championship with Honda-powered rivals BAR with Trulli jumping from joint ninth (with Kimi Raikkonen) to joint seventh (with Jacques Villeneuve and Nick Heidfeld) in the drivers standings. However with Jean Alesi losing sixth place at Indianapolis as a result of Trulli's reinstatement, Jordan gain only two points in the Constructors Championship to end the ear with 19 points in total. Trulli's personal tally for the season increases from nine to twelve.

On the team's official website (www.f1jordan.com) team boss Eddie Jordan commented, "We are very satisfied with the outcome of the appeal and delighted to have our fifth place in the 2001 World Championship for Constructors confirmed."