Jordan eyes Renault deal

In the wake of his team's current engine supplier Cosworth being put up for sale, leaving him with no guarantee that it can supply him with power-units next year, Jordan has been canvassing other manufacturers in the hope of pulling off a deal.

His primary hopes of landing Toyota power-units appear to be all but over, after team principal Tsutomu Tomita announced at the Japanese Grand Prix last weekend that it was now too late for his outfit to supply a second team for 2005.

It is understood, however, that there remains a very slim hope of a deal with the Japanese manufacturer still being possible, but time is fast running out. Jordan is believed to have made a presentation to senior Toyota management at Suzuka last weekend in a bid to make them change their mind.

With his Toyota options fading though, sources claim that Jordan has now approached Renault in the hope of securing a deal for the team's V10 engines.

And although certain factions of the French manufacturer are understood to be keen to evaluate whether it would be possible to up its production at its Viry-Chatillon engine facility to supply a second outfit, it is believed that team boss Flavio Briatore is against such a move.

Briatore is said to favour running a third car next season for Frenchman Franck Montagny rather than be forced to supply extra engines - although insiders claim that he could be persuaded to change his mind if a customer team would be willing to hand Montagny a race seat.

There could, however, be major financial benefits for Briatore to accept a customer deal because, at such a late stage of the year, Jordan would almost certainly need to purchase the entire rear end of the Renault car (including gearbox and suspension) if he is to get the team's engine fitted to his 2005 contender.

Cosworth's other contracted team, Minardi, has already vowed to build its own engine for next season if the Northampton-based company does not honour its deal in supplying customer power-units in 2005.