Jordan supports weight handicap

Eddie Jordan has reacted positively to the news that Bernie Ecclestone is planning to introduce measures aimed at making Formula One racing more competitive, including the suggestion that ballast is added to winning cars.

"Michael Schumacher has made Ferrari into something unbelievably special," Jordan explained. "With five world championships, he is arguably the best driver ever seen in the sport. The form of handicapping we are talking about, has been seen many times before in sport and indeed motor racing. All saloon car championships in the UK use it. The manufacturers agree that as they win a race, or score points, they will pick up the equivalent in points in kilos fixed to the car as part of the competition."

"It's a way of Ecclestone, quite uniquely in Formula One if it goes ahead, levelling out the playing field. We definitely need to get back a lot of the people who are turning off, not only motor racing, but also sport in general. There is an indication that live viewing figures are not what they were, and something has to be done."

"There are a number of different rules, but the reason Bernie has headlined the weight penalty issue is that it is a significant measure which is easy to put in place and then to manage and regulate, but it's something the teams will never agree to en masse. So Bernie has to be tough and put something in place to get Formula One back to what it was."

"For the first time in history, if Ferrari win in Japan, they will have more points than all of the other teams put together in one season. Noone wants to see that, including them. We need a healthy, exciting champioonship that is fun for everyone to watch."

"I think weighing down the cars is an excellent way, which has already been proved, of levelling out the field."

-jordan-