Jaguar and Jordan with same engine from 2004

Jaguar Racing and Jordan Grand Prix will compete with the same Cosworth V-90 degree engine from 2004, Jaguar CEO and team principal Niki Lauda confirmed today. Eddie Jordan announced earlier this season that his team had agreed a deal with Ford for Cosworth engines from next season: in 2003 Jordan will run the 72 degree unit that Jaguar currently use this year while Lauda's squad will use the new V-90.

"Eddie signed a three-year contract for Cosworth engines for his team," Lauda said at today's press conference at the US GP. "Next year we're going to use a new V-90 degree engine on the Jaguar car and he will use this year's engine. So the year after we will both have the same type of engine, V-90 degrees and from then on for the next two years. So we'll start with this year's engine next year and they will follow up. As soon as we have enough V-90s ready, then he will have that one."

Lauda added that Jordan would pay for the Cosworth engines in a customer deal but whatever agreement Jordan had with Ford was not his concern, only Cosworth was his responsibility. The deal Cosworth had to supply Arrows with engines fell through due to Arrows' ongoing financial problems and Lauda went looking for elsewhere.

"So this contract is signed and this is all I am responsible for," Lauda said. "And I am very happy because Cosworth is an engine manufacturer on its own. It's not like BMW or Mercedes being part of a group. We just make Formula One engines and CART engines and rally engines. So, therefore, when we lost the Arrows deal, basically, which was my original start to supply engines to another team, it was obvious for me to find somebody else. That's Eddie Jordan, so I'm very happy about that."

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