MAY 5, 2005

Bernie plans Frenchman at Jordan

Bernie Ecclestone says that France needs a Grand Prix driver. Ecclestone was a surprise guest of the French Federation boss Jacques Regis at a media lunch yesterday in London, to promote ticket sales for the Magny-Cours event.

Ecclestone said that French TV ratings are rising (probably thanks to the success of Renault) and that the country really needs a driver to keep the interest rising.

"We're trying to get one," Ecclestone said. "We could put somebody in with Jordan, whether that's good or not I don't know."

The obvious choice for such a deal would be Renault test driver Franck Montagny.

The other Frenchman with sufficient credibility to be in F1 is Champ Car champion Sebastien Bourdais, although he is under contract to Newman Haas Racing for this year.