True enough, he was outqualified by team-mate Jarno Trulli in all but one race. And true, some of his race performances seemed to be lacklustre.

But Frentzen was not doing that badly. He was often at least as quick as Trulli in races, and he was never that far behind in qualifying.

Whatever the reasons for team owner Eddie Jordan's decision, though, Frentzen remains one of the most fastest drivers in the pit lane on his day.

There was a time, indeed, when he was considered to be faster than Michael Schumacher. And, when they were young stars trying to make their way in the lower ranks of motorsport, he probably was.

Few would press that point now, even though there is no doubt Frentzen still possesses a smooth speed shared by few others.

Frentzen is the kind of driver who seems to need the right environment to shine. He got his big break with Williams in 1997. But he never lived up to the billing, and he left at the end of 1998 a disappointed and frustrated man.

Jordan, though, revived him in 1999, and he was a revelation. There was no pressure, and he drove several superb, unflustered, unobtrusive races, and took two wins on his way to third in the world championship.

There are some, though, who would claim Frentzen is too unobtrusive, that he lacks the cutting edge and last ounce of determination that will produce the unexpected result.

He may have found Trulli a little tough to handle in 2001, but in the right environment and handled in the right way, Frentzen is every bit good enough to win a race.