Who will be Jordons new driver

xzodia

So anybody got any ideas or opinions on who it could be

celticfc

I'd say it'll be Nick Heidfeld. Although, it is possible that Frentzen could return to a yellow car.

Thanx 4 The Fish

I know Villeneuve is out etc but I would like to see him in a Jordan next year, would certainly bring the experence and a high profile driver can't but help the team.

robo

Yeh my money would be on Jaques, quicker than Heinz...HHF left not on good terms, he was majorly pissed off with Jordan when they dropped him, wasn't he?

But did I not read that they were in talks with some TV company about doing a pop idol search for a new driver who would maybe drive for them in a few years time!!!

p.pete

Originally posted by Thanx 4 The Fish
I know Villeneuve is out etc but I would like to see him in a Jordan next year, would certainly bring the experence and a high profile driver can't but help the team.

I was thinking the same myself, if he's available he is probably as good as Jordan can do. I'm not sure he would put himself through the frustration though.

I heard that they will be looking for a driver who can bring a lot of finance to the team - hopefully they'll have skill also...

Da Man

Are they looking for one or two drivers?

zeris

Well, no driver is confirmed for next year. I don't know if they are going to keep Ralph or not. He didn't have a great season.

Well, McNish keeps hinting that he has something for next year. I doubt he wants to go to Minardi, so apart from the Jordan seat(s), there is the last seat at Jaguar as Wilson hasn't been confirmed either.

I doubt Jordan could pay for JV and I think we might well see him next year racing for Pollacks CART team.

Heidfeld could be a real possibility if the Mercedes deal goes through. I imagine he is pretty pissed off right now as he was one of the next big things alongside Kimi and now has no drive.

I think the HHF/Jordan spat has been smoothed over. I cannot remember the event, but last year I think Eddie wanted HHF to stand in for a race. It didn't happen as there was still legal stuff going on from HHF court case and his legal team said not to do it. But I think HHF would have otherwise. So, they seem to be a little more friendly now.

Töpher

Personally, this is what i **PRAY** for....

Mercedes deal...

Alex Wurz/Pedro De La Rosa
Nick Heidfeld.

I likes Firman, but his season was not good, in all fairness that was due to the car, (excluding the FLUKE at brazil, fisichella only got 1 point more then Firman), but it doesnt leave a good impression. McNish might be ok too, but I have my dreams...! LOL!

aidan_dunne

I'd have to agree with Einstürzende on this one. If the Merc deal does go through I'd say at least one, if not both, of the seats will go to the drivers affiliated with Mercedes, i.e. either Heidfeld, Wurz or De La Rosa. Remember, too, that De La Rosa was Jordan's test driver a few years ago so that might also give the nod in his direction too. Also, correct me if I'm wrong here, but I think I read something somewhere recently that Mercedes had finally severed their long-standing ties with Heidfeld. Or is that the young English karter Lewis Hamilton I'm thinking of? Sometimes I get confused myself!

Either way, as I said, if the Merc deal does go through expect at least one of those drivers in a Jordan next year. As for Firman, I'd like to see him stay in Formula One for another year, perhaps even in a Jordan. I think that there's this culture in Formula One right now (and has been for the past few years) of signing up drivers and if they don't perform spectacularly straight away they get dumped by the end of their first season. Look at Sato, Pizzonia, McNish, to name just three. Despite the fact that Sato and Pizzonia were damn good in F3, that performance didn't translate into results in F1. I don't think it was because of lack of skill, I think it was because they just didn't get time to adjust to F1 and get used to the cars and learn the circuits (also, being in crap cars probably didn't help either! ). I think that given more time, another season in F1, whatever, drivers like Sato (who has gotten his second bite of the cherry with B.A.R. next year), Pizzonia and Firman would be much better. In the majority of cases (drivers like Schumacher, Raikkonen, etc. excepted), you can't just jump into an F1 car and expect to be spectacular straight away. It takes time to adjust but there is so much pressure in the sport now from the team, sponsors, engine supplier, etc. to be fast, reliable and consistantly scoring points that you're expected to be doing all that right from the start. If you don't, you're out on your ear. What about giving a driver some time to find his feet, learn the car and tracks, work his way up from dumping it in the gravel at turn one to finally getting podiums? Has all that been forgotten? Not every driver coming into F1 has the natural speed and ability of a Michael Schumacher or Ayrton Senna. Most have to learn it but, once they do, they can become great drivers. Take a look at the likes of Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, etc. Not naturals by any means but, through hard graft and being given the time to learn their trade, they went on to become World Champions. That's why I'd like to see Firman get a second season in F1 because I'm sure he'd be much better next year (provided the car was anyway half decent). The question is, will he get that chance or will he be tossed onto F1's scrapheap of "What might have been" drivers?

By the way, sorry about the long post. When it comes to talking about motorsport I tend to go on a bit. Apologies!

xzodia

i have to say i also would like to see firman stay as he seems to be running ok in a car that hasn't been to reliable. Even the great drivers would have failed in the jordan last year lets hope they can improve the car and reliability for next season

What exactly is the merc deal i have heard different things about it

xzodia

The chances of frenzen going back are slim he recently said

he will not go back to Jordan unless they can offer him financial security and $2 million in wages

i Think Heidfeld would be a good pick but we will have to wait and see

Töpher

True, and jordan probably can't put £2m towards car development, let alone drivers!

I'm still hopeful for the Mercedes deal, anything and everything is better than that Ford piece o' junk!

Da Man

Will that fix the chassis? Despite RTE harping on about horsepower deficiancy, there's a little more to the story. In any event, is there really any future in running last year's engine?

Pizzonia improved a bit during the year and from what I remember did quite well in the race before he was dropped and I'm pretty sure he would have done better than Wilson did in his few races.

I think the jury is still out on Sato as he's obviously quite good at Suzuka. But a year's testing probably did him some good.

johnpl

personally, iid like to see firman given more of a chance in the jordan car. as somebody already mentioned, there is definitely a culture in formaul 1 right now that if you don't perform straight away then you're out.

as for who'll be jordan's second driver next year, i think heidfeld might be a good option. i've always rated him as a pretty decent driver. don't think frentzen will be back, and i'd hate to see villeneuve in a jordan - it's not that i don't rate villeneuve as a driver, it's just that he's way too arrogant and i don't think he'd fit into the jordan 'family' (and anyway, he hates dealing with all the sponsors, without whom jordan will be in the sh1t).

Kalina

Hopefully Wurz will go to Jordan along with the mercedes engine deal. He's so experienced and rated a lot more than Heidfeld. But will McLaren release him for next year?

GreenHell

First person to cough up the cash for the honour of criusing around in a Jordan will get the drive, JV won't cause he costs 20 million. I wouldn't mind Firman he seems solid enough.

xzodia

well as far as i know firman is not been replaced

there just looking to replace fisacella

wurtz would be a reasonalbe assumption especially if the merc deal goes through. can somebody explain what excatly is the deal with merc

Robbo

Originally posted by xzodia
wurtz would be a reasonalbe assumption especially if the merc deal goes through. can somebody explain what excatly is the deal with merc

"The Merc Deal" refers to a rumour that did the rounds during the summer about Jordan getting a supply of cut-price Mercedes engines. Please bear in mind that as things stand Jordan have a contract for another 2 years with Ford (which is costly to keep and costly to break).

Norbery Haug from Mercedes announced last year that Merc would be willing to supply reasonably cheap engines (cheaper than Jordan pay for the current Ford deal) to anyone in the current grid in a bind with regards engines. Add to this the standard paddock red-herrings and some carefully planted stories and the story began to sprout legs. Then the rumour grew to incorporate an entire (old) McLaren car being offered as part of the deal.

But all of these "offerings" come with a price according to one variation of the rumour. A Mercedes affiliated driver must be housed in Jordan to clinch the deal. This leaves us with Alex Wurz (McLaren test driver) and Nick Heidfeld (has been under the wing of Merc since he wasin F3) as potential drivers, in accordance with the "prophecy".

Robbo

Originally posted by xzodia
well as far as i know firman is not been replaced

Firman has neither been confirmed nor denied for next year. To keep his seat, I'd imagine he'd have to come up with a fairly large wedge of cash.

AngelofFire

Id like to see an experienced driver like Frentzen, Mcnish or Villeneuvue fill the vacant seat at jordan. We need to regain some of the stability we lost when HHF was sacked before we can even think about moving forward. An experienced driver will be accompained by engineers who have worked with the top teams jordans depleted technical department could use a bit of expertise.

Doctor J

Looks like Russian teenager Vitaly Petrov might get a seat. EJ needs €€€ and he's trying to woo Roman the Chelsea guy into investing.

Diddy Kong

but wasnt eddie jordan in japan a few weeks back lookin for investment, setting up a driving school and looking for a new cheap driver....

Töpher

that'll be for in a few years, i very much doubt he'll reef someone up and shove em in the car

that said he did meet ralph firman in a sunglasses shop....

Töpher

Heidfeld, Jordan, Clicky