Jordan counters F1 criticism

Eddie Jordan has countered criticism that Formula One has become boring and tolerates 'race fixing' during an interview with the UK's Channel 4 main evening news. Speaking to presenter Jon Snow on last night's programme, Jordan was asked if he thought Formula One was in crisis due to alleged falling TV viewing figures, economic problems for smaller teams, the Austria team-orders scandal involving Ferrari and the predictability of Michael Schumacher winning races.

"I think Formula One is going through a transition. We have never seen so many manufacturers in the sport, ansd that is unprecedented. They wouldn't be in F1 if it didn't add value, so I don't agree there is as big an overall crisis as some are making out."

Asked whether the current problems in Formula One would cause difficulties for his team in the future, Eddie Jordan responded, "We at Jordan are particularly fortunate as we have good sponsorship from the Deutsche Post group, DHL and Benson and Hedges, plus engines from Honda. We are lucky because we have been a team which has won races in the recent past, and we'll always be here because we have a particular way of doing things that attracts good partners."

Snow asked about the boredom factor of watching Michael Schumacher and Ferrari dominate the sport.

"When people turn on their TV and watch Tiger Woods (the golfer) they see an absolutate genius in his own sport, a real phenomenon, and Michael Schumacher is of the same ilk," said Jordan. "It happens once in a lifetime that someone come along and totally dominates a sport, and Schumacher has done that to Formula One."

"This all part of a cycle - Ferrari went 21 years without winning a title, and of course they made changes. They are so desperate to win titles now they have this opportunity with Michael Schumacher, which I believe is the route cause of what happened in Austria - they are so paranoid about winning championships because they have the chance to do so. And I think that covers the so-called 'boredom' aspect of it because it is impossible for other teams to contemplate beating Ferrari at the moment."

-jordan-