Grapevine: Jordan Deny Approaching Irvine

Ulsterman Eddie Irvine could find himself forced out of Formula One next year after the Jordan team said they are unlikely to make an approach for the Jaguar star.

Irvine is set to end his three-year reign at Jaguar to make way for Australian Mark Webber, who is understood to have already signed to race for the Milton Kenyes outfit in 2003. But his hopes of returning to Jordan now look slim even though the team have admitted that key sponsors Benson and Hedges are pushing them to replace Japanese Takuma Sato with a British driver.

Jordan's Head of Marketing, Mark Gallagher, revealed: "There has absolutely not been any approach to Irvine either formally or informally."

Sato earned the team around £2 million when his fifth place in the season-ending race in Japan moved them to sixth in the Constructors' Championship and he has a contract with the team for 2003.

He is now team boss Eddie Jordan's favourite to partner Italian Giancarlo Fisichella next year, and Gallagher added: "Eddie has a love affair with Takuma and Jordan want to keep him."

Jordan spotted Michael Schumacher's talent and brought him into Formula One - and he believes Sato also has what it takes to win the World Championship. But Gallagher revealed that important Japanese backing has still been difficult to find.

"We have pressed Japan for a year but got nothing," said Gallagher, who is currently trying to secure enough sponsorship to allow the team to compete next year. "They should realise Takuma will be a hero and push to inject some funding in a big way."