Jordan EJ11 Launch: Hamidy confirmed

Hamidy has been linked to the Jordan team for several months, but has been prevented from leaving previous employers Arrows, due to contractual red tape.

"Eghbal Hamidy will join the team in February," said team boss Eddie Jordan. "He'll make sure that we have the continuity that we need and he'll also be able to plan for the future. He will be key to our future success."

Hamidy arrives too late to have much influence on the EJ11, the car upon which Jordan has set much hope. The Silverstone-based team had a disastrous 2000 season, achieving a lowly sixth place in the constructor's standings after climbing up to third and taking two race wins in 1999.

Chief engineer Tim Holloway was unexpectedly charged with leading the design of the new car after technical director Mike Gascoyne left to go to the Benetton team last summer.

Unlike Jaguar Racing, which launched it's 2001 challenger last week, Holloway says the Jordan outfit is not concentrating solely on reliability, but also on maintaining speed and performance as well.

"It was a little unexpected to take the role on [after Gascoyne left]," said the 49-year-old Holloway, "but it actually worked very well. The team of designers is the same as last year and we have worked hard on reliability while maintaining speed."

With a change in the F1 rulebook, teams have had to redesign their front wings for 2001 and Jordan have adopted an anhedral raised section underneath the nosecone - something tipped to become de rigeur in the coming weeks.

"We've had a new set of rules to cope with this year," said head of aerodynamics, John Iley, "but personally I'm very proud of what we've done over the winter. This year there is no room for failure."

The car ran at Silverstone yesterday and at the weekend and is scheduled to receive it's third run again tomorrow, continuing into Thursday and Friday.