AUGUST 18, 2002

Honda, Jordan and Ford

Honda has announced that, as expected, it will not be supplying the Jordan team with engines next season.

Takuma Sato, Hungarian GP 2002
© The Cahier Archive

Honda has announced that, as expected, it will not be supplying the Jordan team with engines next season. Honda said that "at the beginning of the 2002 season Honda restructured its joint chassis development project, strengthened the internal F1 structure within Honda R&D and extended its contract with British American Racing for a further three years." There was no room in this deal for Jordan.

It is clear that Jordan will now use Cosworth engines although the team will not make any official press statement to that effect just yet. Eddie Jordan is however expected to discuss his new engine deal later this morning. The big issue is one of branding - and the effects of that. If the engine is branded "Ford" there are huge implications for all concerned. Our spies say that Jordan has done a deal for free engines with Ford of Europe which will involve a parts distribution deal for DHL and a drive for Heinz-Harald Frentzen. This makes a lot of sense for everyone involved but can they all agree?

And if they can put it all together what will be the effect of that Jaguar Racing? Will Ford of Detroit battle with Ford of Europe using different engine brands? Or could the presence of Dietrich Mateschitz of Red Bull in Jaguar circles mean that the much talked-about Red Bull Team USA might become a reality? Or is all of this just Silly Season chatter?

Watch this space...