Screen removal needs agreement, says Jordan

Fans are cheated of seeing the cars in the garages because screens are erected to prevent photographers snapping highly sensitive developments on the cars.

Jordan revealed the teams were asked to take the screens down at the first race in Australia - and did so.

"I remember being approached by [organiser] Ron Walker in Melbourne at the beginning of the year on the same subject," said Jordan. "Actually, I agree with him. But until you can stop photographers and put meaningful controls over espionage, then I don't see how you can do it.

"We are all spending fortunes making the very best car we can and, in two seconds flat, pictures are with virtually every Formula 1 team. It applies to me and to every other team principal.

"A team can only take precautions and I will protect my team's intellectual properties and technical rights as long as I can. If that means putting up screens, I will do so, but I would be the first to take them down if I was given an undertaking it wouldn't happen."

If team bosses could strike a deal, Jordan believes, it would not be broken.

"The one thing about Formula 1 is that, when the teams and the people come together and agree themselves, I can promise you I have never known an agreement like that to be broken.

"If you put it into legislation people find ways around it."

Rival team boss Frank Williams explained the scale of the problem, saying: "Getting 0.1s out of a car these days, you might spend easily half a million pounds, and I don't exaggerate. To see your half a million quid taking a trip down the pit-lane is not very funny and should not be happening."