Jordan angered by Ford

Team boss Eddie Jordan is angry with Ford after the manufacturer's decision to pull out of F1. Cosworth supplied Jordan with engines but now that the company is up for sale, Jordan is facing the prospect of not having a supplier for 2005, which puts even more pressure on his team to make the grid for Melbourne at the start of the season.

Eddie Jordan.

Photo by Dave Dyer.

"To say I am disappointed with Ford is an understatement," said Jordan, according to The Guardian newspaper. "I have been trying to keep my total dismay under control. I am angered that after a long relationship I should get seven minutes' notice that they were pulling out. It's now almost too late to build a sophisticated car around a new engine."

"We already had an agreement and we'd agreed to design and build a car for next year. Ford said they would find a way of making an offer. And do you know what they suggested? They doubled the price for engines which were not going to be subject to any development"

"You cannot believe their behaviour and believe me, I am only scratching the surface. Ford have behaved appallingly, I kid you not. I can't get an appointment to talk to anybody to talk about it. This is a very sad state of affairs."

Ford announced in September that Jaguar and Cosworth are to be withdrawn from F1 at the end of this season and be put up for sale. Jordan said he would sell his team if that was the only way to keep it going, or would be happy to enter into a partnership with any prospective investors.

"The situation for the small teams is pretty grim," Jordan commented. "The presence of too many manufacturers have sounded the death knell for the smaller independent teams."

Like Jordan and Jaguar, Minardi is also powered by Cosworth but team principal Paul Stoddart is determined to be on the grid next year. "I will get to Melbourne on my own, with my own engine which nobody can take away," he said in Friday's press conference at Suzuka.