Rookie Firman gears up to cope with new formula

ROOKIE Ralph Firman insisted yesterday he would be able to cope with the demands of Formula One this season.

The 27-year-old has been catapulted into motor-sport's toughest series after being handed a three-year deal by Jordan.

Firman fills the last place on the grid for the new campaign but is confident the experience he gained racing in Japan for the last six seasons will prove vital when he makes his debut in the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 7-9.

"I've been out there for a long time racing high-powered cars and that should help me mentally and physically in the next year," said Firman, who won the Formula Nippon series last year.

"Although this will be my first season, I have worked hard to build up my experience whilst racing in Japan, so although F1 will be something new I feel ready and quite comfortable with it."

Firman will be looking to emulate the roll-call of talent who have begun their F1 careers at Jordan, including five-time world champion Michael Schumacher, his brother Ralf, Eddie Irvine and Rubens Barrichello.

Firman seemed set to defend his Formula Nippon title the equivalent of F3000 this year, with Brazil's former Sauber driver Felipe Massa the favourite to succeed Takuma Sato as team-mate to Italy's Giancarlo Fisichella. But it appears Massa was unable to come up with the necessary sponsorship, reputed to be £3 million-plus, to boost team chief Eddie Jordan's budget for the season.

It is unclear how much money Firman will bring to the team although Benson & Hedges, one of the team's sponsors, and Ford Ireland are reported to have contributed.

Firman holds dual nationality as his mother is Irish while his father is a former Lotus mechanic who founded the Norfolk-based chassis manufacturer Van Diemen in Britain.

But Jordan have also been impressed by Firman's racing credentials including a British F3 and Macau F3 title successes in 1996 when he faced the likes of Juan Pablo Montoya, Jarno Trulli and Nick Heidfeld who all later graduated to F1.

"He may be a rookie in F1 terms but Ralph brings a lot of racing experience and a formidable track record along with his enthusiasm and commitment," said team chief Eddie Jordan, whose new driver will get his first taste of the Cosworth-powered EJ13 in Valencia next week.

The news that Ralph has joined us means that Jordan-Ford is a force to be reckoned with in 2003, and I can't wait for the season to start."