Jordan Says Hello to Ford, Goodbye to Honda

Eddie Jordan called his announcement of signing a Ford engine and sponsorship deal - a deal he had been working on since February this year - "a very big day" for his team.

The "big day", however, was due to take place on Monday rather than Sunday, but was accelerated by a press release put out by Honda in the Hungaroring paddock just after the morning warm-up revealing the termination of their relationship with Jordan.

The statement revealed: "Honda Motor Company has reached an agreement with Jordan Grand Prix to end its Formula One engine supply contract at the end of the 2002 season. Honda's challenge for the world championship will continue with British American Racing."

The statement said that Honda had "restructured its joint chassis development project" at the start of the 2002 season, at the same time it extended its contract with British American Racing for a further three years.

Jordan described the new link-up as a "Ford-related partnership", rather than a direct Ford partnership, and no Ford bosses were present at the hastily organised announcement, at which Jordan described Ford boss Richard Parry-Jones, who signed the contract, as the "Global whatever it is".

Jordan told reporters on a sun terrace on top of the Jordan motorhome: "Honda made a press release to say they officially allowed us to go. They never broke a contract. We requested to them that in the interests of Jordan and Formula One, would they release us early in the year.

"That is not in any way saying anything bad about Honda, but with two teams, Jordan and British American Racing, so closely matched there was some element of difficulty. They were fantastic about it."

Jordan dodged questions over the financial implications of the deal, but said that compensation from Honda was "not the issue" and suggested that tie-ups between current sponsors and Ford would fund the supply.

There have been rumours in the paddock that current backers Deutsche Post, who own the DHL brand which Jordan uses as title sponsors, could terminate their deal at the end of the season.

But it is possible the Ford link-up could see them stay on board and tie-up a commercial deal to use the car giant's vehicles for the DHL global transport business.

Jordan insisted the engine supply deal was "nothing close" to the one that Arrows have had with Cosworth this season, but it remains unclear exactly how the supply of engines will differ.

Jordan added: "It is a completely new engine which is called the Ford Cosworth RS, is in line with the new model cars that Ford are putting out, with dedicated people inside Cosworth."

Arrows currently have had exactly the same engine as Jaguar this season, however, with an automatic necessity to have dedicated staff at both the Cosworth factory and at the racetrack.

Jordan added: "Cosworth is a matter of six miles away and there was talk of them moving to Silverstone, I am not sure what is going on there any more. But even now, they are next door to us.

"On Monday the engineers will be working with them together on drawings and location is also quite helpful in this matter and we have worked with Cosworth as a customer years gone by.

"We thought we were going to get a Ford participation in those early days and maybe we were a bit too naive but finally we have eventually got together and it will unfold over time as to some of the benefits.

"It is a different structure, a different way of looking at the new opportunities that unfold commercially in the global context of what we are trying to do."

The deal leaves the Ford-owned Jaguar team's future in question, as they will now be in direct competition with a team running under the name of Ford, but it is possible Jaguar could be forced to pull out of the sport.

However, with Jaguar competitors Mercedes and BMW on track next year as well as Ford competitors Renault, Toyota and Honda, there could be life in the Jaguar project yet.

Jordan refused to comment on the Jaguar situation and said: "I have been devoting my time to Jordan not Jaguar. The people we were speaking to in Ford were very positive and, of course, with a major corporation like Ford it takes a little bit of time to make sure it is all in the right place.

"Jaguar are a competitor of ours on the grid. They are this year and they will be next year. I don't think anything has changed in that. We should all rejoice the day that Ford publicly announce they are coming back into Formula One."

The Ford name has not been present on the Formula Grid since they turned the Stewart-Ford operation into Jaguar Racing at the end of 1999, but they have had huge success in the past and supplied Jordan in their debut year back in 1991.