Jordan ready to take on the best

David Tremayne talks to the Formula One owner close to realising his ambitions

INHABITANTS of the fishing village of Cascais can be forgiven for believing the grand prix season had started early as teams slogged round the Estoril track in Portugal last week in a final test before the Australian Grand Prix on 10 March. Some new cars ran for the first time, others were being fine-tuned, but for everyone it was the first indication of their place in the pecking order.

Pundits read too much into test times at their peril, but while Williams- Renault were expectedly strong, the big surprise came from the Jordan- Peugeots, the fastest cars up until they left.

This will be a critical season for the Silverstone-based team, whose Irish owner, Eddie Jordan, blarneyed into Formula One in 1991. His emerald green cars made a terrific initial impression, but the intervening years have been hard. Jordan has demanded victories in 1996, but will his team again flatter to deceive?

In his office, he pondered the situation. "I've set a target that we must win races," he said. "Do I really think we can? In a straight fight against Williams, it's always going to be difficult. But I think the cars have come a lot closer together with the rule changes. And we have two very good race drivers: Martin Brundle, our old mate, and Rubens Barrichello, who has a team-mate he can work with. At the moment we don't have the outright speed to win, but it's getting better.

"We set targets each year and generally we achieve them, or come close to it. Mind you, last year we set a target of four podiums, which we didn't achieve, and finishing fifth in the constructors' championship, which we also didn't. We had the speed, but we didn't finish enough races."

The fragility of the relationship with Eddie Irvine, now at Ferrari, emerges as Jordan defends his choice of Brundle: "In my eyes, Martin is a proven winner, one of our favourite sons. Last year the blend of Irvine and Barrichello was not productive. People were surprised we let Irvine go to Ferrari, but I released him when I had an undertaking from Martin. He is the perfect choice in our present position.

"It doesn't put pressure on him or us. He is an open, professional character with a wealth of experience, knowledge and speed. We are in the strongest position we ever could be. We have two great drivers who are not in conflict with each other. And that is half the battle."

It amuses Jordan that some suspect his cars were underweight in Estoril. "You'll always get that," he says airily. "But our car was out first, so there's every reason why it should be leading the way. But I am surprised. It's the best test we've ever had. Our technical director, Gary Anderson, says maybe it's not a bad thing if people think we were underweight. Why try to convince them otherwise? Let's see how we get on in Melbourne.

"It's make or break this year. I have to see that the team is moving forward. Of course there are occasions when you have to go back one step to come two forward. We decided to go with Peugeot last year at short notice, so it was always going to be a struggle and that has now paid off.

Testing can mean everything or nothing. McLaren's Ron Dennis once suggested creating a winter world championship "just to give Ferrari something it could win". Jordan anticipates the closest season in years, and believes Williams will be fastest. The laconic Australian driver Frank Gardner once said: "When the flag drops, the bullshit stops." That time is not far away, and then we shall know.