APRIL 26, 2005

The Jordan engine supply

The news that Red Bull Racing is to use Ferrari engines in 2006 and 2007 will move speculation about engine supply on to Jordan F1, which has a deal with Toyota for this year but is shopping around for the future. It had been thought that the team, which is owned by Ukrainian steel company Midland and registered in Guernsey, would get a deal with Ferrari but it seems that the possibility of such an agreement slipped away some months ago. Jordan has since been talking to various manufacturers but for the moment at least there is no word on a deal. Things will not be helped by the fact that Jordan recently decided to attend an FIA rules meeting about the future rather than sticking with the teams which are advocating a different kind of F1 in 2008 and beyond. This makes it much less interesting for the manufacturers to help the team and with Ferrari (the only manufacturer which wants status quo in 2008) supplying Red Bull there is not much hope of an engine there. There is always a possibility that Jordan will do a deal with Cosworth but the real issue is not what the engine will be, but rather when there will be a decision. The choice of engines for next year is a problem which is fast becoming serious because the designers at Dallara need to know details in order to get on with design work for the 2006 car.

If there is not soon a decision, Dallara's efforts will be compromised and it is not surprising that chief designer Luca Pignacca is keen to get a decision from the team management at Jordan. For the moment, however, there is no word on a deal.

In passing, it is worth noting that Gary Anderson is not involved at all in the F1 programme, having decided to concentrate his activities this year on being a commentator with the Irish TV station Setanta Sports.