JORDAN-PEUGEOT MONACO GRAND PRIX PREVIEW
     The Benson and Hedges Jordan-Peugeot team is going for gold. 
The  Jordan-Peugeot  196 cars, driven by Rubens  Barrichello  and 
Martin  Brundle  will run in a metallic gold  livery  at  Formula 
One's showcase event, the Monaco Grand Prix.
     The race takes place on Sunday May 19th, around the  streets 
of the famous principality.
     ``Monaco  is the jewel in Formula One's crown.'' team  owner 
Eddie Jordan said. ``It has a glittering reputation, so it seemed 
like a perfect place to unveil the new livery.
     ``The  final details of the contract with Benson and  Hedges 
came  together  just prior to the start of the season,''  he  ex-
plained.  ``We  only had seven days before the cars were  due  to 
leave  for  Melbourne,  so we had to decide  quite  quickly  what 
colour  we would paint them. The new metallic gold livery  better 
reflects the Benson and Hedges corporate image.
     ``The  change  of colours has of course meant a  hectic  few 
days  for the team. The race cars returned from Imola on  Tuesday 
afternoon and they were stripped down straight away and went  off 
to  the  paint  shop on Tuesday night. We got the  tubs  back  on 
Wednesday night so the guys could get on with the normal pre-race 
workload.  The  bodywork  started coming back on  Friday  and  by 
Saturday  the cars were built-up, stickered and on their  way  to 
Monaco.
      ``There  is a certain amount of ancillary  equipment  which 
has to be painted up and quite a lot of extra bodywork we have to 
take  to  the race because of the proliferation  of  combinations 
likely  to  be used at Monaco. Those will be put into  the  extra 
transporter which will leave the factory next Monday.  Everything 
will be in Monaco for the first practice session on Thursday when 
we get a chance to see the new colours for the first time.''
     Prior  to the Monaco race the Jordan team will be in  action 
at  the Pau Arnos circuit in southern France.  Gianni  Morbidelli 
will  run on Sunday May 12th, handing over to Martin  Brundle  on 
May 13th.
     ``Like Monaco, the Pau track is tight and twisty so it gives 
us  the opportunity to find a good balance before we head  on  to 
Monte  Carlo, team manager John Walton said. ``Monaco is  a  low-
grip, low-speed circuit. You need good torque from the engine and 
good traction to get the car out of all the slow corners.''
     The  3,328-kilometre Monaco circuit is an unparalleled  test 
of  a  drivers' skills according to Martin Brundle.  ``Driving  a 
Formula One car around Monaco is one of the great sporting  chal-
lenges in my view,'' Brundle said. ``It requires immense  concen-
tration and is a real test of a driver, both mentally and  physi-
cally.  I'm quite fond of street circuits and I've always  had  a 
good race at Monaco, often finishing in the points there.''
     This will be another home Grand Prix for Rubens  Barrichello 
who has collected points in the previous three events. 
     ``Like  quite  a few Formula One drivers I have  a  flat  in 
Monaco,  so this is a bit like racing around my front yard,''  he 
said. ``It's a fun event with lots of parties going on. There  is 
an  atmosphere  in Monaco that you don't find  anywhere  else.  I 
normally celebrate my birthday at this race; this year it happens 
a  few day after the Grand Prix (May 23rd) and hopefully I'll  be 
celebrating another finish in the points at the same time.''
        
     Circuit length: 3.328 kms.
     Race distance: 78 laps (259.584 kms)
     1995 Pole: Damon  Hill - 1:21.952.
     1995 Fastest lap: Jean Alesi - 1:24.621
        
     1995 results: 1. Michael Schumacher     Benetton-Renault
                   2. Damon Hill             Williams-Renault
                   3. Gerhard Berger         Ferrari
                   4. Johnny Herbert         Benetton-Renault.
                   5. Mark Blundell          McLaren-Mercedes.
                   6. Heinz-Harald Frentzen  Sauber-Ford.

MC
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 þ 1st 1.11 #8604 þ A rhetorical question deserves a rhetorical answer.