EJ: Trulli will be surprise of season

The Jordan owner also believes his newly-signed Italian will provide stiffer competition for Heinz-Harald Frentzen than Damon Hill.

Jordan took third place in last year's world championship, despite Hill's poor form in which he managed only seven points.

Frentzen racked up 54 points to finish third in the drivers' championship.

Speaking to The Mirror, Jordan said: "I don't want to have a go at Damon because he gave us our first Grand Prix win in 1998 - and no one can ever take that away from him. But Heinz-Harald Frentzen virtually did it on his own last year.

"The gap between him and Damon was too big. There was no pressure on Frentzen from his team-mate.

"That is not the ideal situation for an ambitious team and hopefully we've addressed that by signing Trulli. You have to have two competitive drivers if you want to compete with the best in the championship.

"Jarno has the potential to be something special and I think he'll be the surprise of the season.

"He'll get quicker and quicker and give Heinz the competition he needs. He'll push and help Heinz get the best out of himself.

"Jarno might not be ready to go for the championship this season, but nobody should underestimate him. He'll certainly be a threat next year."