Jordan Grand Prix 'contrived' Vodafone litigation

Lawyers acting for Jordan had claimed that, during a March 2001 telephone conversation, Vodafone brand director David Haines said: "You've got the deal." Mr Justice Langley stated: "I reject that, in the course of the March 22 telephone conversation, Mr Haines said anything that could reasonably be, or indeed was taken by Jordan to be, a binding commitment on Vodafone to sponsor Jordan."

In a 100-page ruling, the judge stated: "The inherent improbability of an agreement of such a nature for payments of such a size being made in such a manner is obvious. Jordan's claim, in my judgement, was plainly demonstrated to be without foundation and false.

"I regret to say that I found Mr Jordan to be a wholly unsatisfactory witness. His evidence was in many instances in stark conflict with, and indeed belied by, the documents - often documents of his own making. On occasions even Mr Jordan was unable to offer an explanation and was reduced to embarrassed silence by the exposure of blatant inaccuracies in what he was saying. The evidence he gave and the claims Jordan makes became more and more contrived and unsustainable."

A Vodafone statement read: "We are very pleased that the case has been concluded and that the integrity of Vodafone and its senior management has been so strongly underlined by the court."

Jordan stated: "When Jordan began this action, we thought we had a deal and believed we had a good case. Litigation is risky and unpredictable and we have always been prepared for the possibility that this might not go our way. It's now time to move on and devote our full attention to the team and its future."