Jordan Revealed at Royal Albert Hall

BENSON AND HEDGES JORDAN MUGEN-HONDA 198 REVEALED AT ROYAL ALBERT HALL

Jordan Grand Prix today unveiled the car to be driven by Damon Hill and Ralf Schumacher in the fight for the 1998 Formula One World Championship In a spectacular show at the Royal Albert Hall, incorporating a 20 minute excerpt from Cirque du Soleil's new show 'Alegria', the Benson and Hedges Jordan Mugen-Honda 198 descended from 50 feet above an audience of six-hundred sponsor and media guests, to reveal its spectacular new livery and design.

Benson and Hedges team owner, Eddie Jordan, heralded the dramatic introduction of the Jordan Mugen-Honda as the opening shots of what promises to be the most open Formula One season of recent years-'With the most radical technical rule changes for 15 years, nobody can predict what will happen," said Jordan "But we have made a big investment in time and people to meet this challenge, and we are determined to make it a success Last year we showed we were on the right track, and the addition this year of 21 times Grand Prix winner and 1996 World Champion Damon Hill, plus the brand new purpose built Mugen-Honda engine, will complete our jigsaw."

The Jordan Mugen-Honda 198, designed by Technical Director Gary Anderson and his team of engineers, evolved from the narrow track Jordan car which proved very successful in tests last autumn- It completed a successful shake down on Friday 16th January on the National circuit at Silverstone, Ralf Schumacher, Jordan's 22 year old German driver, who drove the car for its first laps, declared, "It felt great, even better than last year's car." Watching Ralf's first run, Jordan's new driver Damon Hill, who will drive the car in Barcelona on Wednesday 21st, said' 'The car has done everything we asked of it today, so this is an excellent start-"

Also present on Friday was Spain's Pedro de la Rosa, who in 1997 succeeded Ralf as Japanese Formula Nippon Champion (Japan's equivalent to F3000), and who was confirmed today as Benson and Hedges Jordan's test and reserve driver for the 1998 season. In addition, Yeuichi Wakisaka, was confirmed by Mr Hirotoshi Honda, President of Mugen Co Ltd, as the first participant of the Mugen-Honda scholarship scheme which will result in a testing programme with Jordan Grand Prix - Ends -

-- Stephen M Baines

F1/TouringCars http://web.ukonline.co.uk/stephen.baines/