Jordan without engines?

According to reports in the British Press, the Jordan Formula One team has still to cope with serious problems for next year, as the team has so far been unable to secure an engine for the coming 2004 season. It was originally thought that Eddie Jordan had secured a deal with Ford for the next several years, however the team principal has now revealed that the price will be ten million pounds, which is 30% more than what was believed a few months ago.

Jordan revealed to People that he was originally told back in January that a Ford engine would run at costs totalling to just under seven million pounds, a figure that was far from being accurate.

"I just hate the fact that we were led to believe the engines would be priced at £6.95million or less,” he told People. “It's frustrating because we agreed a figure and then it changes by the time the contracts were drawn up. As regards Ford and the deal they came to us with, it's more than the £6.95 million. They wanted to use the Jordan name and have space on the car but I'm afraid we don't just give space away for free."

There have been reports that the team will be taken over completely before the start of the new season with a chance that the cars will be powered by a Mercedes V10.