No Prost Scenario for Jordan, Claims Boss

Eddie Jordan says he has grabbed his team by the throat to ensure their Formula One future alongside the big-budget carmakers.

Jordan slashed his staff by 15 percent this week and the Irish entrepreneur said on Friday that the tough measures were needed.

"I consider myself a proven businessman, I believe in making a profit," he told reporters in the team motorhome at the Spanish Grand Prix. "I want to stay in business as an entrepreneur, I will stay in business."

This year has seen Prost vanish from the grid but Jordan emphasised there was no risk of his team following the French cars into oblivion and that he had no intention of selling up.

"It's a big sorrow for me that Alain Prost is not here," he said reflecting on the difficult economic climate in Formula One. "I don't want to follow him down that path...but we are not in that position."

"I want to make sure that we break even this year and have an even better chance in the future."

Jordan said the job cuts, including some senior employees who were seen as his 'pals', would leave the team meaner and leaner. He said it would also mean a life change for him by bringing him more into the day-to-day running of the business but he was looking forward to that.

"I felt the team was going away from me," he said. "The only thing I could do was grab it by the throat and say 'I'm not going to put up with this.'"

Economic Blip

Jordan ruled out a suggestion that the job cuts were aimed at impressing engine maker Honda, who also supply British American Racing and are rumoured to be considering scaling down to one team from the end of 2003. BAR cut their staff by 15 percent last month.

"I never considered Honda once in the whole thing," the Irishman said. "This is about Jordan. Jordan is not under pressure or on any beauty parade."

Jordan, whose team have yet to score a point this year while tailenders Minardi have taken two, said he had a firm contract for Honda engines in 2003.

"Everyone tells me they (Honda) are going to do a runner. If they are, I have no experience of that," he said.

Jordan said there were no signs that an end to the economic downturn was in sight but it was also important not to exaggerate the difficulties the sport faced.

"We have a blip, a major blip, but not something that is out of control," he said, advocating limited testing and supporting engine changes planned from 2004.

"We have to make changes, Jordan has to make changes. I am sure as hell going to make sure it (the team) survives.

"We had less than a third of what we have now and we won three races," said Jordan, whose team is one of only four currently in the sport to have won a race in the past four years and finished third in 1999.

"Now we've got to win three points."