Thanks to the tremendous support of Toyota and Bridgestone throughout the season, Jordan Grand Prix has been one of the most reliable teams of the Championship with an 84% percentage of race finishes and 97% mechanical reliability.

It was Portuguese driver Tiago Monteiro who helped increase this statistic significantly by securing a total of 18 incredible race finishes out of a possible 19, 16 of which were in succession. By doing so Tiago secured a new record, the original being held by Sir Jackie Stewart for over 40 years.

But this isn’t where Monteiro’s incredible season finished as he also completed the most race mileage of any oother driver on the grid, inclusing 2005 world champion, Fernando Alonso!

"I could not have dreamed of a better first season in Formula One. Having finished 95 % of the 19 races was a great team achievement. I completed the most race mileage of all the drivers and hold the record of 16 consecutive race finishes for a rookie. The car has been amazingly reliable this year, which was essential for me to be able to learn as much as possible and gather as much information as I could,” he said.

One of Tiago’s finishes actually netted him a trip to the rostrum when he took third place in the USGP. While this result was somewhat criticized as only six Bridgestone shod racers took part in the event, his eighth placed finish at a very wet Spa-Francorchamps circuit was brilliantly achieved…

“The podium at Indianapolis was unexpected and a great moment for us. It was fantastic to be on the podium and see all my mechanics and engineers so happy, cheering for me. The point scored at Spa was also a great moment, especially as it was a tough race in difficult weather conditions,” he explained. “I really enjoyed the Nurbrugring, as I was fighting with the teams ahead of us. Monaco was tough, but it was very satisfactory to be able to finish such a long and challenging race. I particularly enjoyed the tracks in Turkey and at Suzuka. There were also a couple of low points during the season, such as Imola and Monza, where the car was really difficult to drive.”

“Sao Paulo was very disappointing; as it was the first and only time I had to retire during the season and this only 15 laps from the end. It was very frustrating, as otherwise we may have finished all 19 races, which would have been unbelievable. However, that's racing and it will unfortunately happen again. The high points of the year have been so great that they outweigh the bad ones. Once again, I would like to thank the whole team for a fantastic season."

While it is highly speculated that Tiago will remain with the team in 2006, it has yet to be confirmed. Hopefully, the team will be able to maintain its incredible reliability record, with the continuous collaboration of their partners at Toyota and Bridgestone in 2006.