Durand joins Jordan (updated)

Ostensibly, the Frenchman will report to the Silverstone-based team's technical director Eghbal Hamidy, but the Iranian's days with the team appear to be numbered.

Hamidy's future at Jordan has been surrounded by speculation in recent weeks, but the arrival of Durand is the clearest indication that a split is inevitable. The team is believed to be unable to comment on the situation with their technical director for legal reasons.

Team boss Eddie Jordan said: "I am delighted Henri is joining us as he brings great expertise and vast experience from working with some of our key rivals. It's clear that we have to work harder than ever to achieve success in F1 and it's exciting to have someone of Henri's calibre on board."

Hamidy came to Jordan with a strong reputation as an aerodynamic specialist, having spent many years working at Williams under the stewardship of Adrian Newey. He then joined Stewart Grand Prix and took up his position at Jordan after a short spell at Arrows.

The first indication that all was not well, however, came when Jordan's EJ11B proved troublesome last year. The first time the car ran, in Hungary, Jean Alesi proclaimed that he preferred the standard EJ11, which he drove to good effect in the race while team-mate Jarno Trulli struggled with the 11B. It is understood that while the car showed an aerodynamic gain on the wind tunnel, pitch sensitivity problems damaged the balance on the circuit.

The defection of Jordan aerodynamic personnel to join the team's former technical director Mike Gascoyne at Benetton also raised questions about Hamidy's man-management and 11th-hour production problems with the EJ12 are believed to have brought matters to a head.

Officially, Hamidy, who is believed to earn a half-million US dollar salary at Jordan, is 'on holiday.'