The fifth Formula 1 single-seater to come out of Eddie Jordan’s team workshop is the new 195, a car tasked with the difficult job of replacing the solid 194, which had brought much satisfaction to the Irish team in the previous season. In the engine supplier shuffle, Hart, who had provided engines to Jordan in 1994, signed an exclusive two-year deal with Footwork, leaving the Irish team without an official engine supplier. The breakdown of the relationship between Peugeot and Ron Dennis’ McLaren team, which switched to Mercedes-Benz engines in 1995, gave Eddie Jordan the opportunity to secure exclusive use of the French V10, not the most powerful or reliable engine in the paddock, but undoubtedly a solid one.
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| JORDAN 195, Eddie Irvine Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1995 |
The well-established group of engineers who worked on the 194 was fully confirmed again, with Gary Anderson continuing as technical director, Andrew Green as chief designer, Mark Smith still responsible for mechanical design, and Darren Davies as head of aerodynamics, all under the leadership of team manager John Walton. The new Jordan 195 stood out from all other cars on the 1995 grid for its innovative aerodynamic design, featuring a low nose, going against the trend of most teams, who favored raised noses to improve underbody aerodynamics. While maintaining the design language of the 194, itself derived from the innovative 191, Anderson decided to abandon the characteristic arched, split front wing mounted on the sides of the nose. Instead, he adopted a full-width, single-piece wing mounted beneath the nose. The sidepods had a rounded design with a distinctive, narrow, and forward-placed air intake that began well ahead of the cockpit.
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| JORDAN 195, Rubens Barrichello Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1995 |
Perhaps the car’s most notable feature was its clean lines, particularly at the rear, where it featured an innovative diffuser with a very tall central section and wide, low lateral sections, capable of generating good downforce. The rear end of the sidepods was also carefully designed to improve airflow to the rear wing. As for the chassis and suspension, the proven elements from the 194 were retained, though appropriately updated.
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| JORDAN 195, Eddie Irvine Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1995 |
The real novelty of the 195 was its engine. The Peugeot V10, although similar in size and power to the Hart V10, required larger radiators, forcing the engineers to redistribute the car’s weight in order to regain the mechanical efficiency demonstrated by the previous car. The French V10, paired with Jordan’s own seven-speed semi-automatic gearbox, proved over the season to be the true Achilles’ heel of the 195, frequently exposing its performance limits, around 700 hp at 15,500 rpm, and, more notably, its lack of reliability. Of the 16 times the two Jordan 195s failed to reach the finish line in 1995, 11 were due to issues with the engine/gearbox system, which was plagued by frequent sudden failures.
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| JORDAN 195, Eddie Irvine Hungaroring, Hungarian GP 1995 |
The driver lineup for the new 195 remained the same as in 1994: Brazilian Rubens Barrichello and Northern Irishman Eddie Irvine. After a rocky start, with five retirements in the first six races, the team found more consistency from the third race onward, bringing in points and respectable finishes for Eddie Jordan’s squad. In Canada, at the circuit named after the late Gilles Villeneuve, the Irish team achieved a surprising double podium, Barrichello second and Irvine third, and, thanks to further points finishes throughout the season, the Irish team concluded the 1995 season with 21 points and a solid sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship.
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