AUGUST 18, 2002

Jordan gets Ford!

Eddie Jordan has confirmed that Jordan Grand Prix will have Ford engines in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

"We have signed a deal with Ford in a partnership arrangement which will be for three years," Jordan told press men in Hungary. "The car will be known as a Jordan-Ford. The engine will be known - as part of the new range of Ford car - it will be called the Ford Cosworth RS1."

The immediate question is what happens to Jaguar Racing as it is inconceivable that Ford will run Ford-badged engines in competition to Jaguar-branded units. The obvious answer is that the Ford Motor Company will offload the team and the obvious buyer is Red Bull's Dietrich Mateschitz, possibly in partnership with Niki Lauda. This is speculation but it is the deal which makes the most sense for everyone involved and for Formula 1 in general.

If this is confirmed it will be another blow to the automobile manufacturers as Ford will no longer own a team...