MOTOR SPORT/Japanese Grand Prix: Eddie Jordan relishes his role as Formula One's joker. He was the life and soul of Honda's end-of-season party here, the Japanese hosts indulging his irreverent sense of humour with somewhat bemused good manners. These days, however, even Jordan's smile is a little strained.
Time is running out for the Dublin-born wheeler-dealer who, almost 30 years ago, sold second-hand carpets to fund his own racing career. Recently his team, already under severe financial pressure as minnows battling to attract sponsors, lost their engine-supply contract after Ford closed Cosworth engineering - a decision which threatens to overwhelm Jordan in their battle to stay on the grid next year.
"To say I am disappointed with Ford is an understatement," a seething Jordan said yesterday. "I have been trying to keep my total dismay under control. I am angered that after a long relationship I should get seven minutes' notice that they were pulling out. It's now almost too late to build a sophisticated car around a new engine.
"We already had an agreement and we'd agreed to design and build a car for next year. Ford said they would find a way of making an offer. And do you know what they suggested? They doubled the price for engines which were not going to be subject to any development. You cannot believe their behaviour and believe me, I am only scratching the surface. Ford have behaved appallingly, I kid you not. I can't get an appointment to talk to anybody to talk about it. This is a very sad state of affairs." Ford's interpretation is that they tried hard to accommodate Jordan and feel that his assessment is excessively critical, although their Formula One programme has been under pressure from head office in Detroit.
Jordan, meanwhile, admitted he would consider amalgamating or selling if he could guarantee the future of his team, but would not comment on talk that he is considering an offer from Christian Horner, the owner of the Arden Formula 3000 team whose driver Vitantonio Liuzzi won this year's European championship.
"All of those things are possible and it's better than going bust, so if I have to I will," he said. "I would be happy to join a partnership if it means I can live to fight again another day.
"I believe that Formula One is in danger of having an ageing population in key positions. People believe in themselves too much. There is no form of succession. There is no obvious succession for Bernie Ecclestone, for Frank Williams or for Ron Dennis. When I came into Formula One I was in my late 30s and now I'm in my 50s. It's also just too expensive to come into this business."
But that has not stopped the Guernsey-registered Midland Group announcing their intention to compete in 2006. The team would be called Midland F1 and is backed by Russian money, prompting plans for a Russian driver at some stage.
They have recruited the Italian chassis maker Dallara to build a car, but like Jordan are on the look-out for an engine supplier. According to the team's co-founder Alex Shnaider, their headquarters will be outside London.
"The opportunity to create value is immense and it stuns me there are not more companies that have identified this opportunity. It is like getting an NBA or NHL franchise for free, as it is one of the world's most popular sports."
Jordan, though, had some salutary words on the difficulties facing small teams in Formula One. "The situation for the small teams is pretty grim," he admitted. "The presence of too many manufacturers have sounded the death knell for the smaller independent teams."
He also criticised GPWC, the alliance of car manufacturers who compete in Formula One and are seeking more influence. "The GPWC persuaded Max Mosley (the FIA president) to give up the ban on electronic driver aids. He gave up on the condition that the manufacturers supplied engines, priced at no more than £6.9 million sterling for the small teams. Have they put a finger in their pockets to help? Have they hell!"
Jordan admitted candidly that he has gone through a severe learning curve during his 14 years as a Formula One chief, a period which has seen the team's fortunes go full circle.
"In 1991, our first season in Formula One, I could put my hands on £5 million, had about £10 million in sponsorship and ended up with an overdraft of £5 million. It was obscene. My whole life had changed. I had a profitable driver management business, we'd been one of the most successful teams in the junior categories, half my drivers were in Formula One.
"I thought I was Jack the Lad, so what did I do? I blew it all on a Formula One team. But I persisted with it and turned it into a success. I had the good days, and now I am feeling the pain."
A decision was taken last night to postpone today's qualifying for tomorrow's race and the circuit will be closed all day as the Nagoya region battens down the hatches in preparation for typhoon Ma-on, which is heading towards the area from the Pacific.
Heavy rain and winds in excess of 100 m.p.h mean qualifying will begin at 10 a.m. local time tomorrow. The race remains scheduled to start at 2.30 p.m.
The typhoon is expected to arrive at Suzuka at midday today and the decision to halt qualifying was taken to ensure the Japanese public are warned in advance that it is unsafe for the track to be open.
