Eddie backs Eddie

By Phil Giles
May 21 2005

Former Jordan driver Eddie Irvine is rumoured to be in the hunt to purchase Jordan Grand Prix, the team which gave him his first start in Formula One.

The rumour mill in Monaco is going overboard! Respected Atlas F1, the Guardian and other media are all voicing the rumour that Eddie Irvine heads a consortium of investors who are looking to enter Formula One and that Jordan appears to be their target.

Rumours abound that Alex Schnaider underestimated the costs involved in keeping a Formula One team afloat and that he is looking to offload, just a few months after taking the team off EJ's hands. This has been denied by both Schnaider and the teams MD Trevor Carlin.

UK newspaper, The Guardian suggests that if the purchase went ahead, the deal could cost as little as £12m, half the cost of the amount paid by Schnaider and the Midland Group.

Radio Five Live asked Irvine about his aspirations for becoming a team boss. The Swerve said "I think I could do it. I've seen the best in someone like Jean Todt and even the worst in someone like the Ford motor company."

"So I think I learned a lot more from how badly Ford did it because Todt took such great care of everything." he continued. "With Todt it went pretty much the way it should have done. You only learn from your mistakes. Ford showed me how to make mistakes. The Ford experience with Jaguar was much more enlightening - but you need to have both."

Eddie Jordan who has come to Monaco in his yacht for the weekend said: "Eddie is exactly the kind of guy who can deliver. I think F1 has lost some of its pizzazz... the excitement and euphoria that is often associated with it."

Both sides have denied that any talks or offers have taken place, however time may tell. I'm sure that the qualifying coverage from ITV will maybe give us a little bit of insight into what Irvine's plans are and where we as fans may be taking out loyalty in 2006.