FEBRUARY 16, 1998

Jordan confirms Repsol

AS expected Jordan has concluded a sponsorship agreement with the Spanish fuel company Repsol, which is supporting the team's test and reserve driver Pedro de la Rosa.

AS expected Jordan has concluded a sponsorship agreement with the Spanish fuel company Repsol, which is supporting the team's test and reserve driver Pedro de la Rosa. Repsol is a good catch for Jordan. It is one of Spain's biggest companies and in the top 100 companies in Europe. It made profits of $1.2bn last year from a turnover of $17bn and employs around 20,000. The company has a long history of involvement in motorsports, having sponsored World Rally Champion Carlos Sainz and World 500cc Motorcycle stars Mick Doohan and Alex Criville.

The company intends to form a long-term relationship with de la Rosa - the current Formula Nippon and JapaneseÊGTÊChampion - with the intention being to help him to get a full-time drive in F1 in 1999. Repsol was unable to continue its relationship with Sainz this year as he signed for the Castrol-backed Toyota rally team.