Confirmed : HONDA will provide engines to only one team in 2003 !

[Bononi]

Yesterday, Eddie Jordan and Craig Pollock had a short and objective phone call from Japan : Honda chairman officially stated that in 2003 they will provide only one team : BAR or Jordan. And the worst part: HONDA will choose the team from their performances in 2002.
Eddie Jordan, has now Takuma Sato, and is believed to be a good move from him to secure the engine deal, but Pollock believes that Honda will not take any emotional point into the judging : "Honda will have a whole new engine next year, and what will count is effectiveness and good organization, not politics"

So, the game has begun... Survivor 2003 !!!!

[srinimax]

villeneuve and honda are out of bar in 2003 for sure.

[Jay]

yeah, I agree.... Even if Jordan have a slightly better car, BAR have much better drivers... And I'm not sure Jordan will have the better car next year...hopefully the engineers will have learned something over the past two years...Unless of course Takumo turns out to be the next Senna...but unlikely..

[Tristan]

It's just GOTTA be Jordan. Honda clearly aren't happy with their investment in BAR so this is just a politic way of getting out of the situation.

I read today that Jordan's pregnant!! BUT HOW CAN THAT BE WITH THOSE SIDEBURNS???

[f1manoz]

I reckon it will be BAR simply because when the tobacco bans come in 2006 Honda can simply buy the team and it will be simply known as Honda (or maybe even Reynard-Honda if Reynard are invited to build the chassis.)

Jordan may have Sato, but I don't think that will influence Honda's decision. But if Jordan manage to whoop BAR's butt next year, then my above statement could be entirely wrong.

[ljakse]

F1manoz,
it's very nice when somebody before me says exactly what I would have said, and saves me the trouble of typing.
Thx

[Nicholas]

Considering the amount of unprofessionalism at BAR in a ?thread earlier this year, it's hard to believe they can beat Jordan next year.

An early launch just doesn't make sense; why not develop the car until the last minute

[paulzinho]

If they don't base it on performance then Honda may have a tough choice.

Jordan have Sato, who could turn out to be a huge revelation.

BAR have the grid slot.

Whatever the Japanese public want is the way they'll go IMO.

[BootsOntheSide]

The choice facing them has been discussed before, and it may be that BAR represent a better option due to the tobacco rules. However their drivers are aging, and they seem to lack massive design talent. No doubt Honda milions could correct that though.

[Glen]

Well, the new BAR had better be a whole lot better than the last one then. What a dissappoinment 2001 was.

I hope its Jordan, personally. Only out of prejudice - I just find that I like everything about the Jordan team. I mean, they paint teeth on the front of the car - what more do you want! Not so keen on the reliability, or mid-season development, though.

2002, Jordan
Fisichella will be great, Sato might be, but I'd guess not; even if he achieves a rookie year as great as Kimi Raikkonnen's he'd be a long way short of out-classing Fisichella.

2002, BAR
Haven't got a clue or a guess to offer! I can't make Jaques V out at all - I found it very surprising to see him so frequently overshadowed by Panis, and sometimes the gaps were quite large. Unless this means that Panis is brilliant, in which case all they lack is a car that handles!

[BBKing]

While BAR has been hiring top people from top teams: Williams and Ferrari, Jordan has been hiring more pit babes….LOL.

It is going to be tough decision for Honda only if they appreciate nice looking models in their garage rather than a very qualified tem with a chance to build something serious.

The Jordan Exodus has been consistent since the end of 99. Not a single good catch in their tech department, except of Anderson(?) who in reality is a has-been in F1. Sato might easily change from one team to the other whenever Honda decides who will be weakest link…LOL

[Lola]

Tristan

I read today that Jordan's pregnant!! BUT HOW CAN THAT BE WITH THOSE SIDEBURNS???

Yeh and possibly with a dane..............

Jan Magnasson to make a come back?

[RT]

After the way Eddie Jordan treated Heinz-Harald, I hope BAR gets the works Hondas and Jordan gets whatever Minardi ran in 1999.

[srinimax]

we dont know what h-hf did to get kicked out. maybe there's another side to the story. i wouldnt blame ej so easily. maybe h-hf did a ralf and asked to be named no.1 driver

[Nicholas]

He told this month’s F1 Racing magazine: "He was fabulously
successful, but he had some serious disagreements with some of our engineers about how to do various things. I then had disagreements with him about what was planned for the future."

Ripped off F1 racing. Here's a link:http://www.itv-f1.com/news/news_story.php3?mediaid=8076

[PoweredByHonda]

Originally posted by BootsOntheSide
The choice facing them has been discussed before, and it may be that BAR represent a better option due to the tobacco rules. However their drivers are aging, and they seem to lack massive design talent. No doubt Honda milions could correct that though.

So they "Lack MASSIVE desgin talent"?
What about Geoff Willis and David Bowen they just poached? I'm sure they're just small fish in the pond....

I think they will choose BAR because simply that BAR will be better in 2002...

[rdjones]

All I have to say is one word, which is:- SATO, engines to Jordan in 2003.

[Nicholas]

Originally posted by PoweredByHonda


So they "Lack MASSIVE desgin talent"?
What about Geoff Willis and David Bowen they just poached? I'm sure they're just small fish in the pond....

If you check that link I posted earlier you'll see what I mean. It's certainly not what you would expect of such a big team.

Hopefully Willis and Bowen can put things right before it's too late.

[BootsOntheSide]

"The Jordan Exodus has been consistent since the end of 99. Not a single good catch in their tech department, except of Anderson(?) who in reality is a has-been in F1. "

What about Eghbal Hamidy? The guy did make an Arrows with a geriatric Sueprtec engine the fastest in a straight line in 2000.

[PoweredByHonda]

Originally posted by BootsOntheSide
What about Eghbal Hamidy? The guy did make an Arrows with a geriatric Sueprtec engine the fastest in a straight line in 2000.

So? It's not hard to make a car go fast in a straight line.... Everyone knows that handling thru a corner is what makes a car... If you wanted to make a car fast in a straight line, design one with no downforce...
This year's arrows was almost always fastest in a straight line but where did they qualify? 18th, 19th?

[Nicholas]

Originally posted by PoweredByHonda


So? It's not hard to make a car go fast in a straight line.... Everyone knows that handling thru a corner is what makes a car... If you wanted to make a car fast in a straight line, design one with no downforce...

Or with a BMW?

[BBKing]

Originally posted by BootsOntheSide

What about Eghbal Hamidy? The guy did make an Arrows with a geriatric Sueprtec engine the fastest in a straight line in 2000.

He disigned the 2001 Jordan did he not? What can you say about it? Not so good, isn't it.

You get Sato and you get Honda? Only if Sato is a great driver. If he proves to be a bunny like Zonta or Yoong then nothing is for sure...LOL

[eatapc]

The Honda engine won't be competitive until 2004, and won't be reliable and competitive until 2005, so losing the Honda engine in 2003 won't necessarily be a bad thing immediately for Jordan, but for BAR the vote of "no confidence" would signal the end of the road.

[Jay]

I'm still waiting to see if the new engineers BAR is getting will help... Let's face it they're the guys that determine whether a car will be able to qualify 1st or 21st.... I think it's too late for hte 2002 entry..but should be interesting to see what improvements come through the year...

[srinimax]

i think if honda leaves bar in 2003 so will villeneuve and going by the looks of things i suspect jordan will get honda.