Eddie Jordan Q&A

"Mind your own business! You'll be able to see it in the final account of our company. Jordan has been profitable for as long as I can remember, and certainly in the last three, four or five years. I am now happy in the knowledge that we will now make a profit this year. Of course, you never have enough, no matter what you have, because you're always striving to attain new levels, always continually pushing back the boundaries of technology. With partners like what we've got now, if there were some requests to move it up a gear, I believe there are people there who can make that happen. So I am less concerned. Globally the attraction of F1 is on the increase, and while F1 is not immune to the downturn in the market, F1 is really the only true platform for a brand awareness programme."



"It appears to be easier to drive. It's very radical compared to what we designed before, so it's a very different concept. It's about learning to understand and get the benefit out of that concept. It's not always easy. Giancarlo had an accident, and all of these things put you back a bit. The last two weeks were fantastic, at Barcelona and particularly the three days we had at Silverstone. It's a much better and easier car - Gary did a number of changes to the set-up, which I think have made a big difference. The car is completely different - the airbox, the floor, the sidepods, everything is a different concept. We've always been a bit brave. We've been brave with the choice of drivers, and sometimes it pays off."



"Never rule out Honda. They have such an unbelievable reputation, a great history. There's been talk about why they have two teams - maybe that is the rule for the future. But they are a fantastic partner, very loyal, and in my opinion I don't think we've seen the best of either what they or Jordan can do. I am very hopeful for the future. We got the first new engine and were told that there would be some new modifications. We tested a new spec in Silverstone this week, and there's an updated version of that which will be in Australia. Reliability is important in the first three races, but qualifying will be treated in a different way."



"The first couple of tests he had a problem with the seating position. The seating position is so vital - you have to absolutely feel part of the car to get all the feeling. Last weekend he sorted out yet another seat, which he was happy with. Last Tuesday was probably the best test I've ever seen him do. He was so quick, so consistent, and he's happy with himself as a result. He's finally getting it together, which is something that he knew he could do and we knew he could do, but we hadn't seen it. We've seen it now. Nobody to my knowledge in the last 10 years has achieved the level of success that this boy has. He's very, very focussed, so please don't underestimate him. He's there purely on talent, and not because of consultation with or at the behest of any sponsor. He's there because Jordan wants him as a Grand Prix driver, and that is clear. I think he will be sensational. If there's a wet race he's going to be a big surprise straight away."



"I think Jordan is going to Australia in a good situation. Yes, we were a little bit late with the car. For a variety of reasons we decided to stay in the wind tunnel, and we felt we were going down a road where we could make real improvements in improving the downforce levels. Of course then you have to make sure that the correlation between the tunnel and what appears on the track is real. It wasn't always evident initially, but now it is, and the last couple of weeks were a big step forward for Jordan."



"Well, we've got to make big improvements from where we were last year. When you get the taste of winning, which is now a season or two ago, it's hard to get rid of it when the needle is in the arm. F1 is like a drug. I want to go back and win again. It's tougher at the moment, because there are a lot of major manufacturers. It's not going to be easy, because everyone needs to win, and there's pressure form every corner. Each sponsor wants more and more results. It's not going to be easy, but I'm much happier now going to Australia because I think Taku is right on a very strong level. Giancarlo has already been there, the car is better, the engine is better, it's a better all round package."



"I don't honestly know. I can say I want to be in the top three, but in some people's eyes that may be looking too far - or maybe not. There's huge competition with all the manufacturers coming in. But we're very happy that we've got a proper budget to be able to do what we want to do."



"Renault have won championships before, Honda have won championships before. There are new people coming in with Toyota It's the most open championship I've ever seen, and this is unbelievable for F1, because there's real meaningful competition. It's going to be very, very hard, because there will be a lot of people hovering within fractions of a second for positions on the grid, and I just want to be as far up as I can."

For a full report on the Jordan launch, see this week's AUTOSPORT magazine, on sale tomorrow (Thursday).