Cosworth looking for more 2003 deals ?

By Huw Alban
May 7 2002

Last weeks rumour that Cosworth were considering expanding their customer engine supply business were given added weight today by a fresh developement reported on DailyF1. Last weeks rumours coincided with news that Honda were to drop Jordan, leaving them without a competitive engine.

OrangeArrows are currently the only team that enjoy a customer supply deal, although the Ford Motor Company has a long history of customer supply deals. Arrows pay a report £22million per year for the use of the Cosworth V10 engine, and last weeks talk hinted that Cosworth were considering supply to a second customer.

DailyF1 has reported that Cosworth has been asking around the grid, canvassing the teams to see if there is any interest in a customer engine deal for the 2003 season. The popular news site has also revealed that the engine manufacturer has conducted a feasibility study into an expansion project, the conclusions of which were that the cost of the V10 units would have to rise to cover the set-up costs and that there would have to be an expansion of the facilities in Northampton.

Apart from Jordan, Minardi have also been touted as a possible contender for an engine deal as doubts surround the future of AsiaTech solely supplying engines. The talk is that the company wishes to forge their own AsiaTech team in the near future.