Wirdheim Jordan test role at Indy

[Super Tourer]

Jordan have confirmed Bjorn Wirdheim as their third driver for the testing session at the Indy GP.

Meanwhile Ralph Firman is still experiencing problems with his inner ear. It's reported that during testing last week he complained of dizzy spells in the car forcing him to cut short his Silverstone test.

To me, it looks by no means certain that Ralph will be race fit and Indy could prove to be Wirdheim's GP race debut as well.

Ralph says he will make a final decision on when to race on Friday morning.

[ralf fan]

Finally we'll see the much rated Wirdheim in a race situation. this could be his ticket to a top seat, he's gott make the most of it.

[esorniloc]

Originally posted by ralf fan
Finally we'll see the much rated Wirdheim in a race situation. this could be his ticket to a top seat, he's gott make the most of it.

It is a Jordan! How much can he do in it?

[Mr V]

Originally posted by Super Tourer

Ralph says he will make a final decision on when to race on Friday morning.

Could more likely be The Profs decision.

Originally posted by esorniloc
It is a Jordan! How much can he do in it?

It's all relative, no matter what car he drives in. IF he could get quite close to Fisi who is highly rated then thats as much a signal of his abilities as Gene getting points in a Williams.

[Knowlesy]

He should do better than young Kiesa, anyroad.

[ralf fan]

If he can get close to GF he'll have done his bit , ofcourse provided they are on the same fuel loads.GF seems to run quite a light load these days

[Knowlesy]

Well when you're driving a car that handles like tower bridge it isn't surprising.........

I think Wirdheim will put in a solid performance. Bear in mind he's only testing!

[BootsOntheSide]

If he races, I expect him to let Kiesa through on the final lap.

But seriously, I'd love to see Bjorn get a go. He's an extreemly talented guy, and drove a mostly-supreme F300 season.

[Knowlesy]

Originally posted by BootsOntheSide
If he races, I expect him to let Kiesa through on the final lap.

[Attila]

Well guys as far as I know, Firman got sick during testing at Silverstone and his chances to get ready for Indy are only about 60%. As for the third driver it is stated in the Hungarian press, that Mr. Jordan ordered Zsolt Baumgartner to the USA and ordered a new racesuit for him with no tobacco advertising on it. Eddig Jordan actually said this in a live TV interview. If Firman is not healthy yet than for sure Zsolt is going to drive his car at Indy.

Cheers,

[Bononi]

So good luck Zsolt !!

[Nicke]

Originally posted by Attila
Well guys as far as I know, Firman got sick during testing at Silverstone and his chances to get ready for Indy are only about 60%. As for the third driver it is stated in the Hungarian press, that Mr. Jordan ordered Zsolt Baumgartner to the USA and ordered a new racesuit for him with no tobacco advertising on it. Eddig Jordan actually said this in a live TV interview. If Firman is not healthy yet than for sure Zsolt is going to drive his car at Indy.

Cheers,

According to a Swedish F1 site who talked to Björn Wirdheims new sponsor "Tele 2" that they would have hepled him with the money that Eddie required for Firman raceseat.

[Daisy]

Baumgartner get's 10 million euro's from the Hungarian government to secure an F1 seat...

[alonso11]

yea Daisy,sure... No wonder that most rumours in F1 come from Holland...
Baumgartner doesn't get a single cent from the government as it is
strictly illegal to support any sporter directly from the tax-payer
people's money,sorry but what you've just said is a complete rubbish.
Baumgartner gets the money from the sphere of business it means from his sponsors:a Hungarian oil company MOL (that has gas stations outside the country as well),a Hungarian-Austrian bank CIB and an Austrian insurance company AXA (that recently changed its name to Uniqa).And if you want to know I've just read in a newspaper that all these sponsors are pleased with Zsolt F1 performances so far,perhaps because Zsolt -unlike Wirdheim- outpaced the Minardis during the heathrow tests...
And also because Zsolt -despite not being a toptalent- is still faster than some other highly rated talents like Ryan Briscoe for example and Zsolt is an educated,thinking and level-headed driver who would NO WAY crash into a Minardi during the first lap and retire from the race a couple of laps later after loosing a battle with a chicane like Firman did in Indianapolis.Zsolt finished some 16 races in a row in F3000 (I dont recall anybody else did it before) and has been ultra-reliable during his entire career.Sponsors like it.

[Attila]

alonso pleaseeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are a Hungarian you know how things work in the Hungarian Government. They did pay money out we both know it. Zsolt is now the "face of Hungary" and got a few million HUFs, at least that's what they said. I am sure that he got a lot of money from the taxpaxers money. Anyway what do you think who is one of the mayor owner of MOL??? Yes you guessed right, it is the Hungarian government. Hungary needs an F1 driver and this is a political issue, just as football or some of the other sports.

So you are right directly the governemnt will not support Zsolt, but indirectly they will. There are still many many opportunities: Szerencsejáték Rt., MOL, Matáv, Országimádzs (már meg is igértek egy nagyösszegû szerzõdést jövõre).. etc.

Cheers,

[Cobra]

Originally posted by Daisy
Baumgartner get's 10 million euro's from the Hungarian government to secure an F1 seat...

If this is true,
I say,
what a government,
and well done to them.
He looks like he is worth the investment too!!

[alonso11]

No Attila how does the Hungarian Government work? Tell me! Is it a Goverment of some bananna republic that is corrupt and ready to disobey any law,is it what you'r suggesting? There is a law againts sponsoring any sporter directly from the goverment's money and it applies to other non-profit organizations like for example the Office of Hungarian Turism too.I've been talking facts about Zsolt's sponsors and then you came here to talk unrealistic and truthless things about alleged millions of HUFs (?) and that you are 'sure' that Zsolt is getting money from the taxpayer's money.... Right,Im 'sure' when I have evidences,you are sure when you are...(drunk? ) Anyway I shouldn't waste my precious time on this,otherwise I would visit certain Hungarian forums to chat with some uninformed people who knows nothing about motorsport or policy.But I still feel like I should put you in line since you directed your post to me.

First I've just wrote my post because Daisy claimed that Zsolt gets 10 million euro from non-other but the Hungarian government and that was (sorry to say) a complete lie.Zsolt's money comes from business companies,and I wish he got 10 million of it because then he was already confirmed as Jordan's race driver in 2004.So do you Daisy or Attila have any evidence that Zsolt got a single cent from the government? IF it's so then show it to the court,otherwise don't lie around please because to circulate lies about other country's governments is a bit...hmm impolite? It's serious! Just imagine what kind of protest would the government face from the Opposition and from all the non-motorsport fan Hungarians if they indeed payed that money to Zsolt from the taxpayer's money....
Also what do AXA,MOL and CIB think about it? They are only fake sponsors then,they didnt pay millions of euros for Zsolt in the past
and they are not suppose to pay other even more serious millions for him in the future? And their logos did not appear on Zsolt's overall
and the Jordan No.2 car in Monza and will not apprear on next year's Jordan? Their leaders are telling lies in the financial news papers?
The money comes from the government and not from the business huh???

And you Attila -Zsolt is not even confirmed yet as a part of the Faces of Hungary program- but you are already talking non-sense
about it,you should read this first IMO:

Galla Gábor, a Magyar Turizmus Rt. vezérigazgatója: – Ahogyan már korábban is mondtam, a mi együttmûködésünk akkor kezdõdhet, ha Zsolt a teljes idényben indul. Akkor jó alany lesz arra, hogy Magyarország ismertségét növelni tudjuk a segÃ*tségével. Szponzorként nem tudunk részt venni a támogatásában, ezt a törvények nem teszik
lehetõvé, de folyamatosan szeretnénk felkérni arra, hogy Magyarországot reklámozza.

source: http://www.nemzetisport.hu/cikk.php?cikk=32642
english link: http://www.tranexp.com:2000/Translat...php?cikk=32642
(Of course they can pay some little money for the photo and commercial ad shooting if this is ever going to materialize,that is perfectly normal as nobody works for free and to 'act' in a TV commercial is a job and you get money for it.The office of turism can pay for a job done -insignificant couple of 10000 euros- but can NOT sponsor Zsolt since its strictly againts the law)

And now hear the fact: There is only one way the Hungarian Government is supporting Zsolt.The sport minister sent over a 100 mails to big multinational companies and asked them to take into consideration sponsoring Zsolt,that's not againts the law.Of course to sponsor a sporter or an artist comes with a certain tax allowance,that is also perfectly normal.but ONLY BUSINESS COMPANIES SUPPORT ZSOLT WITH MONEY.

AXA the insurance company,MOL (that is an oil company,not the government,they are yielding mad profit with their business and sponsoring Zsolt from that profit,?Comprende?) and the CIB bank,these are also the logos that are appearing on Zsolt's overall and these comps already paid millions of euros for Zsolt in the past to support his F3/F3000 career,it's well known ACCOUNTED,ADMINISTRATED and OFFICIAL.Plus he has a couple of smaller and occasional sponsors like Samsung (occasional) Danobius Radio,Tensi Tours,etc.Just like every
Holland driver Zsolt is also a pay-driver and just like them Zsolt is also relatively slow,well I hope he is not that slow actually

Btw Zsolt' manager is recently very busy -no,not begging illegal money from the government but- talking to more and more international companies.He has to sell certain parts of the Jordan car's surface and have to put logos there.That's how it works and it is a very hard job to do.A part of the money is already offered by AXA,MOL and CIB and the leaders of these companies expressed in a financial newspaper that they are ready to increase the sponsorship money toward Zsolt in case he gets a full-time drive in Formula One since their companies are ready to join F1! But unfortunetely that's not completely enough yet.Frank Tamas,the manager has to keep on working to put the necesarry money together.Lets hope that he manages it,there stands a good chance of it!

[Bononi]

Very good Alonso11. To the others, one advice: This is a public forum, and anyone can read the statements you're making here, so please, just think twice before posting.