NOVEMBER 24, 1997

No testing for Damon

DAMON HILL will not be testing for Jordan until January because Arrows team boss Tom Walkinshaw is refusing to release him from his contract. Hill's deal runs until the end of the calendar year. Damon has visited the Jordan factory at Silverstone to meet the team and discuss plans for the future. He has also had the necessary seat fittings for the new Jordan-Mugen Honda 198, although this will not be finished until mid-January.

The team is planning to test in December with a Jordan 197 modified to the 1998 regulations and fitted with a new Mugen Honda V10 engine. The Japanese engine builder is very keen that the new engine be given plenty of testing miles so it will be reliable when the new season begins in March.

With Ralf Schumacher currently doing his military service in Germany and Hill unable to test, Jordan is expected to use either its test driver Ricardo Zonta or Andrew Gilbert-Scott who often does tests for the team when the other drivers are not available.