'We can fight for the title in 2000' -Jordan

Heinz-Harald Frentzen won two races for Jordan in 1999 and challenged for the title. With Jarno Trulli replacing Damon Hill in the second car, Eddie is confident that his outfit will surprise the frontrunners again.

'Mika Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher are still the favourites,' he admitted, 'but we are the dark horses and that suits us.

'Anything is possible. We are capable of putting up a serious fight for the championship.'

Trulli has flown in testing so far, and Jordan believes that the young Italian will be the revelation of the 2000 season, just as Frentzen proved to be one of the stars of 1999.

Despite inconsistent performances from team-mate Hill, the German took Jordan to third in both the drivers' and constructors' championships.

Eddie Jordan is not underestimating the competition however.

'It is difficult to see the situation with the top four or five teams changing much,' he mused. 'But we are aware that he can't afford to back off in the slightest.

'If we build a sensational car we could be right there with McLaren and Ferrari, but if we don't go forward we'll be under attack from those just behind us.'

Next season will be his team's tenth year in Formula One, and having taken eight seasons to reach the top step of the podium, Eddie does not want to give up the winning habit.

'We've had some success and we like it,' he said. 'We are greedy for more.'