Firman Challenging Massa for Jordan Drive

Briton Ralph Firman is battling Brazilian Felipe Massa for a drive with the Jordan Formula One team this year.

Jordan marketing director Mark Gallagher told Reuters today that Massa and Formula Nippon champion Firman were "very much in discussion" for the last open slot on the grid.

Italian Giorgio Pantano was also in consideration while Briton Anthony Davidson, already signed as a BAR test driver for 2003, had dropped out of the front row of candidates.

Briton Eddie Irvine, previously seen as a likely signing, dropped out of the reckoning on Thursday when he said he would not be racing this year.

Jordan have Italian Giancarlo Fisichella signed but need to replace Japan's Takuma Sato, now a BAR test driver, for the season which starts in Australia on March 9.

They have said that the choice will depend ultimately on the driver bringing sponsorship to the team.

Firman said, however, that former Sauber driver Massa remained the frontrunner and he had plans to return to Japan for another season of Formula Nippon if Jordan fell through.

"I think Massa is the favourite. He's in plum position because he's got some heavy backing," Firman said. "But nothing has been officially signed yet. I would love to be in Formula One, it's what I've always dreamed of."

Gallagher said that an internal decision was likely next week: "The discussions are coming along, it's pretty imminent. At the end of the day we have to go testing," he said.

Firman, 27, has tested with BAR while Massa drove for Sauber last season and remains highly-rated despite that team's decision to drop him in favour of the more experienced German Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

Gallagher dismissed a report in the Sun newspaper that suggested Jordan were close to a deal with the energy drink brand Red Bull for a sale of the team.

"There's absolutely nothing in it," he said. "We are not discussing a sale of the team with anybody. We have made no secret of the fact that we are having sponsorship discussions with a number of major brands but as regards selling the team, that is not on the agenda."

Jordan have yet to announce their title sponsor for 2003 after the departure of Deutsche Post.